


From the Ashes

by Grimrippy, Omagatoki



Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Assassins & Hitmen, Blow Jobs, Head Injury, Headcanon, Hospitalization, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Stabbing, Swearing, Violence, deviates from canon slightly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-02-14 22:44:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 97,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2205795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimrippy/pseuds/Grimrippy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omagatoki/pseuds/Omagatoki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There have been strange cases of men and women being killed by police because of attacks on the public then rising up stronger and faster before being put down again.  Once they are revived extreme measures are needed to dispatch them.   It is hot news right now and is the subject of many a newspaper headline.  Weiß is slowly rebuilding and has opened a new flower shop.  The four laid low for quite some time after the events involving Estet and the collapse of the museum tower.  Could these strange events lead them to their first big mission in almost half a year?</p><p>Complete</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: The year after the events in Kapitel. Heavily based on an extended role play session. In this story the events of Verbrechen und Strafe never happened; because we forgot about the OVAs at the time this was written. I also hadn't read any of the translated drama CDs either so this story basically just jumps from the first series to Gluhen. 
> 
> Aya, Yohji and Ken also know that Omi is now up for the position of Persia and has been closely working with Birman. It just fit in the story line easier that way.
> 
> Yohji has his own apartment. Omi has been dealing with the inner conflict of becoming the new ‘Persia’, and is not often around due to school and learning what all entails being integrated back into the Taketori family. Aya and Ken share an apartment not far from Yohji’s above the small flower shop.
> 
> Disclaimer: We do not own Weiß Kruez or the characters in any way shape or form and make no profit from the writing of this piece of fiction.

Aya was in the kitchen sitting at a small dining table by the window drinking some coffee and reading a bit. It was his typical morning routine. He was easy to live with for Ken, as far as minding his own business was concerned. He was typically unfriendly, as always but more mellow. Maybe it was the fact that his sister had come too that mellowed him out a bit even though he made no efforts to contact her. In fact he seemed to do anything in his power to avoid her. She had not seen him since she awoke from the coma.

Ken was usually the poor bastard that had to get the shop opened up. Aya worked decently enough, but sometimes tended to get out of doing a lot of the opening chores. He didn't mind so much that he usually had to open. Lately he had found that routine was good for him and with the other two members of Weiß not currently living under the same roof it had calmed the general hectic schedule down a bit. Plus, the new shop was quite a bit smaller than the last. Being tucked away in a small neighborhood kept business to a minimum and they blessedly had very few school girls to deal with nowadays because of it.

The brunette’s usual morning routine was anything but quiet. It’s not that he meant to be noisy it was just somehow his very movement in the new building seemed to echo about. It would have been easy for Aya to know where he was at any given moment. In fact he was down the hall right now brushing his teeth and humming to himself. It was amazing that he was capable of being quiet on the ‘job’.

He liked the new shop uniforms as well; smart blue polo shirts with simple black waist aprons made everyone look the part. Yohji had of coursed complained, stating that a polo was so not his style but he never once showed up to work without it on. One last look in the mirror confirmed Ken’s neatness and he swung out the bathroom door towards the kitchen.

Aya looks up from his paper, his violet eyes trained on Ken as he loudly made his presence known. He watched him intently for a few moments before looking away. Putting the paper down he gets up to refill his coffee. He had his polo on, but the apron was still on the table under the newspaper. A sure signal that Aya would not be doing opening chores, as usual. In fact he had not shown up at all the day before, having been gone when Ken got up and returning late that night. 

“Need a different brand of coffee.” He finally says, his voice deep but cold sounding. “This stuff tastes like shit.” He murmurs as he puts in more cream and sugar than normal.

Ken gives him a wide sidelong glance from the open refrigerator door. “Good morning to you too Aya-kun.” He proceeded to remove some fruit and vegetables then grabbed a large container of protein powder off the top of the fridge. “Sorry, I didn't know you disliked that brand.” He put his armload on the counter by a pristine black blender. Lately he’d been on a breakfast power smoothie kick. Some of the stuff he put in those things would make even the strongest of stomachs clench, but he never really seemed to mind. In fact he thought he was noticing a bit more muscle in his upper body.

The reality of the situation was that Ken did the shopping, cleaning and most of the daily shop chores as well. Aya merely ‘helped’. He never begrudged the redhead of this and to be honest Aya never really made much of a mess anyhow. “Is there any type you like more? I can pick up some on my way to the grocer this afternoon. I”ll just give the rest to Mrs. Nishimura next door.” Mrs. Nishimura owned the adjoining building and had to be in her 80’s. She was deaf as a post to boot but insisted on baking the boys traditional sweets and bringing them by wrapped in neatly tied blue cellophane. She always got Ken’s name right but insisted on calling Aya, Anna. Ken found it all rather sweet and amusing. He also thought that she probably assumed Aya was a woman. He never bothered to correct her though.

Aya pulled a can out of the garbage bin. “This kind.” He says. “Premium roast,” he throws it away again. The redhead looked over at Ken and was obviously scrutinizing every ingredient that the brunette was planning to put in his breakfast shake. He finally just gives up and makes a face and looks away. Aya didn't have a problem with the fitness buff at all, in fact he found it charming and a bit amusing… as long as he didn't have to actually WATCH him drink his breakfast concoctions. 

He didn't rag on him about it though. To be honest Aya had noticed a difference as well. Ken was getting a bit stockier in his arms and chest, so even if it looked atrocious, his new breakfast choice was working. The redhead already viewed Ken as more of a power house than himself, as his weapon of choice was of course more of a hands on kind of affair. 

He stirs his coffee and goes to sit down again. “I appreciate it.” The redhead says at long last. Though it was a wonder, he thought to himself that he himself wasn't going to get fat off Nishimura’s treats.

Ken gave him a bright and winning smile. It was amazing those pearly whites didn't gleam in the dark. There had definitely been a change in Ken since the collapse of the museum tower and battle with Schwartz. It was like it had somehow motivated him and it was probably the happiest that Aya had seen him in the year or so they’d known each other. Out of the four of them Ken had probably come out the best. He seemed to no longer be dealing with his betrayal issues and was in general just all around pleasant to be with. He had even started teaching some of the neighborhood kids some soccer tricks in his free time.

To the casual observer Ken did make quite the spitting image of a soccer dad. If anyone in the neighborhood had any ideas about him and Aya they kept them to themselves but truth be told Ken did make quite the little homemaker. In the space of a few short months he had turned the shabby little apartment above the shop into a nicely furnished home even going so far as to ask Aya what sort of colors he’d like in the kitchen.

The boys had a lot of free time these days as missions were slow coming in since the death of Persia. Omi was doing his best to deal with things on that end but it was slow going most of the time. So in that spare time Ken had made the best of things and seemed overall quite happy.

“Gotcha!” He poured his concoction into a tall glass. “You need anything else?” He walked to the fridge and wrote ‘Premium roast’ on a small magnetic sticky pad. “Oh, I don’t know if Yohji is coming in today or not so could you watch the shop while I run out this afternoon?” He didn't bother to ask where Aya had been yesterday...there was little point after all. Aya was probably one of the most private people he knew. That certainly didn't mean he didn't wonder, he just knew better than to ask.

Aya nods. “Sure I’ll handle it.” He says sipping his coffee, frowning, then sipping it again. Aya was a private person but seeing Ken so excited about life again did bring the redhead out of his typical morose attitude at times. It took a bit of prodding for Aya to get involved in the decor of the home but small questions about where to put certain things or colors Aya did answer and be a part of at least. It seemed Ken was a good match for Aya as far as room mates were concerned. If he lived alone no one would probably ever see him at all. Those rare moments where Aya did come out of his shell were few and far between, but they were there from time to time.

He finally gives up on his coffee; picky man that he was sometimes. He pours it out and rinses out the cup. Aya eyes the odd concoction breakfast-thing of Ken’s again warily then shakes his head. “Doubt we’ll see Omi either, but that's pretty normal.” Grabbing his apron he wraps it around his waist. Seemed one of those rare days he’d actually come down to help open. It was hard to tell, he tended to change his mind last minute sometimes.

Ken finished chugging the last of his shake. “Yeah, he’s been really busy lately with school and all that Take...family stuff.” Ken tried not to mention the name Taketori around Aya. Even though the whole situation had calmed down a bit and Aya had accepted the fact that Omi was indeed, by blood a Taketori he still didn't like to push his luck. He quickly rinsed out his glass and put the blender in the sink to soak. 

Trying to change the subject he brought up the days shop activities. “Seems like we had a rather big order come in last night. I only listened to the message on the machine once though so we’ll have to hear it again to get everything down.” He proceeded down the hall and to the small stairway that lead into the back of the shop.

The building was old but in good shape. Whatever the shop had been before, the owner had obviously taken care of it. Once Ken had tried to ask Mrs. Nishimura about it but she didn't seem to know any details. After the battle the boys couldn't go back to the old shop and had ended up staying in a hotel for a couple of weeks while they recovered; that had been awkward. Even though Omi’s family was in a state of shock and disarray at the time he’d been able to procure some funds and just buy the building outright for them. He got it for a steal. Seeing the size of it though had lead to some problems as the apartment upstairs only had two bedrooms. Yohji had dipped into his cash supply and found a cheap place nearby that wasn't too terribly seedy and Omi was attending a private school with dorms for his last year of high school.

Aya follows him down. The name still had a bitter taste to it, so he did appreciate Ken’s aversion to saying it out loud. “I’ll listen to it and write everything down.” He tells him. “I think I can handle that without going crazy.” The redhead starts pulling flowers out of one of the coolers and setting up their little tables of specials and things. 

Aya honestly preferred working without Yohji. Yohji had gotten stranger than he himself had after the battle with Schwartz. It made him edgy and a bit high strung. They tended to bicker a bit as well when the blonde was around. 

“What time are you heading outta here Ken?”

The well muscled brunette stepped out the sliding front door of the shop and began to raise the metal shutters. He could still hear Aya puttering about inside. “Probably not till after 3, that’s when the guy at the market marks his produce down for the day so I like to go in the afternoon and get a good deal.” He smiled cheekily at Aya through the window. Fact was it was probably the best both of them had eaten in quite some time. Ken cooked almost every night and there were always left overs in the fridge. Even though the other boys didn't live with them anymore he always made enough for the four of them, just in case. He had become quite the cook lately and his specialty was Italian food. Aya would have to be careful so he wouldn't start packing on the pounds. 

Before Ken could get back inside one of the neighborhood strays came up and started wrapping itself between his legs. The little black kitten had be hanging around recently, no doubt because magically a bowl of milk started appearing on the front stoop every night. No matter where they ended up they just couldn't escape their association with cats. Ken bent down to run his hands over the sleek fur then turned and walked back in. As was customary he left the sliding door open after he had hung the noren curtain above the entrance. A fresh early spring breeze filtered in through the place.

He started helping Aya with the other containers of flowers. They were having a special this week on Iris and the bright green stalks of the plants were bursting with beautiful blue and purple flowers. They had even received a shipment of unique white ones with red centers. Those would be sure to sell out quick.

Aya certainly did appreciate Ken’s love for the culinary arts as he himself didn't like to cook that much. The brunette was good at it, and that made it all the better. He was gaining a little weight but it wasn't enough to affect him during the few missions they’d had. 

“There are more Iris in the back cooler.” Aya tells Ken as he lines up the containers neatly where they belong while open. He then goes to the answering machine and plays the message on it, writing down quickly the entire order. Ken knew the redhead would most likely hang in the back and work on that all day while he left the customers for him, but he’d be up front when Ken had to leave. At least he was dependable in that way.

Ken returns with another armload of flowers just as the message ends. “Sounds like a big order.” Something about someone’s birthday...Before he could set the container down another beep issued from the machine. That’s strange, he thought. The last message had been left after 8:30 and he’d been in the shop till 9. Who would have called so late?

After several seconds pause a slurred but not entirely unfamiliar voice came over the line. “Aya...Aya! Pick up your god damned phone man!” It was Yohji and both of them knew the sound of his voice when he was drunk. “I've...been trying to get a hold of you for hours. I need to tell you something.” Another long pause, the sound of ice clinking in a glass in the background. “It’s...it’s important...call me back.” Click…

Aya glances at Ken, then pulls out his own phone. “I’ll be right back.” He says, heading to the back of the shop and into the coolers. He speed dials Yohji, waiting for him to pick up. What the hell could be so damn important… he thought to himself. Aya idly plays with the petals on a rose as he listens to the phone dial in and ring.

Six rings before the phone finally connects on the other end. “Waddaya want?” Yohji’s sleepy voice issues across the line. It’s deep and husky sounding no doubt from the overload of booze and smokes from the night before.

He hadn't bothered to look at the caller ID. It was after 9 in the morning but that didn't mean much to the sandy blonde. He was convinced by this point that he was naturally nocturnal in nature. Besides, night was when all the interesting things happened. ‘Heh’, who was he kidding? Nothing was interesting anymore. Rolling over onto his back he reached for his smokes, the remnants of last nights pack resting on the shelving of his headboard. 

“It’s Aya. You called me nagging me to pick up the phone at some point last night. I missed it.” He says. “What seems to be so important?” His voice held no real inflection to it, the deep roll of his words seeming without emotion or care at this point. He lowered his hand from the rose and turned, leaning his back against the cooler wall in a relaxed state.

“Hn? I called you?” There was a short pause while Yohji lit up a cigarette. “I don’t remember calling you.” He let out a slightly exasperated breath and sat up. Somewhere in the back of his brain though he had a nagging sensation but the harsh light of day seemed to make it impossible to track down.

Truth was last night had been a little rough, OK, who was he kidding? It was pretty bad last night but Aya was the last person in the world he’d actually want to admit that too. He’d been at a bar and had gotten shot down by some woman. Feeling defeated he’d taken his deflated ego back to his hole in the wall apartment and proceeded to finish off most of a bottle whiskey. The prospect of spending yet another night alone had driven him further into the bottle than he cared to admit. Without another body in his bed the nightmares were always much worse.

“Hey man, my bad. I must of had a little too much to drink last night.” He tried to sound jovially abashed...embarrassed a little even. He wasn't sure how well he pulled it off though and Aya was just so damned hard to read. Sometimes he wanted to choke the redhead until his eyes bugged out just to get a reaction out of him.

Aya makes a small grunt sound, which probably meant nothing, but it was an acknowledgement if anything. “I see.” He finally said after another pause. “Well if it is nothing, then I will let you get back to your hangover.” As usual Aya didn't make it obvious if he took Yohji’s bluff or not, but anyone who knew Aya would know he typically saw right through most of them, though he didn't typically call people out. If they wanted to tell him the whole truth they’d do it from the get go he figured. 

“Will we be seeing you in the shop today?” He finally asks.

“Am I scheduled to come in?” He honestly didn't give a crap whether or not he was supposed to be in. The whole flower shop gig was a fucking joke anyhow. They weren't even in a good area anymore to have people come in. He may have always professed to liking women over 18 but that certainly didn't stop him from looking at all the high school girls when they came in at the old shop. Now they were a rather long distance from the nearest high school.

“What’s Ken doing today?” He asked suddenly. For some reason lately he found it a bit awkward to be around Ken and Aya at the same time. Since the two of them had started living there alone there was a pervasive air of domesticity that gave Yohji the heebie jeebies. It bugged him a little too that after everything, Ken seemed so...well normal. It made Yohji’s downhill slide, which he ignored as much as possible, all the more glaring.

“He’s out after three. Has errands and shit to run, I don’t know I didn't ask, that's just what he said.” He tells him. “We don’t put you on the schedule because you show up whenever you just feel like it. Which is fine.” It seemed Aya was pretty neutral about a lot of things. He himself just didn't care half the time depending on what it was. “So it would just be me to pick annoying fights with.”

Yohji was silent for a minute on the other end of the line. For all of his neutrality that last statement from Aya seemed a little peevish. It wasn't that he enjoyed starting fights with him, they just somehow always happened. There was something about Aya not giving a flying fuck that just pushed Yohji’s buttons. It had gotten worse too since the tower. Yohji didn't know if it was because Aya-chan was awake and Aya had nothing left; no revenge, but it bothered him. After everything the four of them had done how could he be so deadpan all the time. 

One time when he was working in the shop with Ken and Aya he’d heard the strangest sound. Turning around he realized Aya had let out a little chuckle and was actually smiling! It was brief, if Yohji had blinked at the wrong moment he would have missed it. Ken had made a joke and it had actually cracked Aya’s ‘I don’t give a damn’ exterior. That had really bothered him for some reason but he didn't quite understand why.

“Well if you don’t want me there all you have to do is say so.” His voice had a bit of a bite to it. In truth he felt kind of useless when he was there. The shop was so small, there really wasn't much for him to do. He often felt like he was in the way.

“As I said, you show up when you feel like it, so I don’t care.” He says sighing a little. ‘’Do what you want.” His voice still showing no positive or negative to his feelings behind it. “I’ll let you get back to your sleep,” and with that he hung up. He heads back out front and starts watering the potted plants as if nothing had ever happened.

Yohji stares at the phone in his hand for a moment as the beep of the disconnect blares out. “Son of bitch!” He slams the phone down into the mattress and crushes his cigarette out in the overflowing ashtray. He had half a mind to show up anyway and with Ken being gone that afternoon maybe he could confront Aya about his little ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude. The blonde stalked off towards his bathroom. He at least had the decency to not show up smelling of liquor and smoke.

Ken raises his eyebrows at Aya. “Everything alright?” Even with Yohji being drunk as a skunk Ken had half hoped it may have been something to do with a mission. He could see Aya slowly starting to retreat into his shell again and he thought a job might do him some good. A year ago Ken couldn't have handled that thought but when it really came down to it, they were all just killers. Trained to hunt those wicked men and women who were just out of the reach of the law. It was plain to see that they were all going a little stir crazy, Ken just accepted that things would come in time. He may have been the most well adjusted of the group but that didn't mean he didn't feel the need to flex his muscles every once in a while. You would have been blind to not see that his increased performance routine had nothing to do with that.

“He was drunk last night, doesn't remember calling me. He probably got blown off by some bimbo.” He tells Ken, turning off the hose. “I don’t really care, I’m just glad I didn't wake up for his shit.” The redhead obviously was low tolerance for Yohji more than most, but it was mostly due to a clash of alpha male personalities. “I told him to show up if he felt like it, but I probably made him mad again so he’ll definitely be here.”

Ken shrugged. “I think you antagonize him more that you’d like to admit.” Again with the cheeky smile. He walked over to where Aya was standing with the hose. “Just…” he got serious all of sudden, “it may not hurt to cut him a little slack now and again.” The brunette reached out to put his hand on Aya’s shoulder. “I know no one wants to admit it but I don’t think he’s doing so hot.” His blue green eyes searched Aya’s for a moment. He knew the redhead was fully capable of not being a stone statue every now and again, he just hoped he wasn't pushing too much. “If you like, I can stick around this afternoon?” He didn't relish being a buffer between the two but he hated how the friction between them upset the calm environment he’d worked so hard for.

He stares at him, his eyes digging coldly into Kens, before suddenly they softened just a little. “I suppose you are right. I’m not going to pat his baby ass, but I’ll try to be understanding.” He gives a little nod as if he had to ascertain for himself that he would really do such a thing. 

“You can stick around if you want.” He shrugs. “He asked if you would be gone. Maybe you piss him off too?” He starts coiling up the hose.

A rather confused looked crossed Ken’s face. “You think I piss him off?” He’d never really considered the prospect. For the most part he and Yohji had been civil to each other throughout their careers as assassins. He couldn't fathom why Yohji would have a problem with him all of a sudden. “Really?” The brunette cocked his head to the side like a puppy. “Maybe I’ll take the long way back then?”

Before Ken could say anything else or Aya could reply they both heard the familiar, “Ohayo-gozaimasu,” from a customer entering the store. Ken turned to greet a woman in her late 20’s carrying some shopping bags. “I’d like some flowers delivered please.” She said with a small smile.

Aya nods. “Maybe ask him sometime.” He adds before turning to work. He laid into getting that order from the message machine in the works, really tying into it. He’d let Ken handle the customer…. as usual. 

Aya was though not without his thoughts as he worked. Why would Yohji call him? There had to be a reason even if it was a reason in an alcohol addled brain. Why did Ken seem so concerned about all of it? Did it really matter? What would Yohji do if pushed too far? A lot of questions rocked about in his mind, but his face betrayed none of it.

Ken greeted the woman and began walking her through the process of placing her order. Her daughter was graduating from middle school and she wanted some flowers delivered to her at school. Their conversation lasted a few minutes as Ken suggested some of the uniquely colored iris and maybe a lily or two. Would she like it in a vase or wrapped as a bouquet? The usual series of questions. She left shortly after paying thanking him for the excellent service.

The rest of the day followed the usual routine, a handful of customers and a few phone orders. Ken made up some small vase arrangements and re-potted a few plants. Come lunchtime a local bento vendor stopped by to see if they wanted anything. Ken selected a couple of items from his push cart and brought one back for Aya. He really wanted to ask Aya what he thought was going on with Yohji but thought better of it so he just dropped off his lunch and went back out front.

Aya thanked him for the bento and dug right into it. Seemed he had worked up an appetite. The redhead could sense that Ken wanted to ask him about Yohji. It seemed the hot topic of the day, but in the end he was glad he said nothing of it, as Aya himself wasn't even sure what was going on in the blondes mind either way.

Three o’clock finally rolled around and the shop had been nearly dead for an hour. “Hey, Aya.” Ken called into the back. “I’m going to run to the grocer now. Besides your coffee do you want anything specific? Anything for dinner tonight?” He hoped that Aya would be staying in the evening as the brunette found himself wanting to spend more time with his roommate. Fishing in the register he pulled out a couple of 2,000 yen notes.

“You are the one with the culinary interest, surprise me.” He tells him. “The coffee is really my only request. It’s pretty important.” He was leaning against the register counter idly watching passersby walking down the street and such from his view of the lane.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can come up with.” He stuffed the money in his brown leather wallet and took off the shop apron. 

Just as he was ready to walk out the door Yohji strolled in, a lightweight black jacket slung over one shoulder. His hair was pulled back by a simple elastic and looked like a puffy little bunny butt on the back of his head. Yohji tended not to wash his hair everyday as it always got frizzy. The hair was a clear sign he’d showered that day. He pushed large, dark aviator sunglasses up to the top of his head. Despite his effort at looking presentable there were obvious bags under his eyes.

“Ken, Aya.” Was all he said in greeting as he walked to the back to hang up his jacket.

Ken shot Aya a look that spoke volumes. “Well I’m out for the day. Nice to see you Yohji!” He spoke in his most friendly voice then practically bounded out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Aya nods a little, glancing at Yohji as Ken disappeared from sight. “Still got a hangover? You look rough.” He said and of course his voice is monotone. Did he even care? Maybe not, might have just been small talk. The redhead looked away from the disheveled man and started trimming stems on roses and clipping the thorns. Things felt really awkward really fast all of a sudden. 

Yohji cocked him a sarcastic, crooked smile. “That bad huh?” He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his ‘artfully’ distressed jeans. Yohji may have been having a rough time but that didn’t stop him from enjoying his love affair with fashionable clothes. The pants alone probably cost him a pretty penny. “Headaches gone, I’m functional.” He looked around the shop awkwardly. At the other shop it had been par on course for Yohji to try and get out of as much work as possible, but here things were different. There weren’t as many distractions and the space was much smaller. He half hoped the redhead might suggest something for him to do.

Aya gestures to the irises. “Those have been a big sell. There are more in the back that need to be prepped to come up, but we don’t need a big batch as we aren’t open a whole hell of a lot longer.” He tells him glancing up from his work and looking Yohji up and down. It was true that no matter how broken Aya knew the man was, he at least didn’t look the part. 

He points to today’s paper on the bench. “Some interesting articles in there.” Something seemed so wrong about the big story on the front page. A man seemed to just lose it at a park, killing a bunch of civilians and even cops before finally being shot by the officers. 

Yohji goes and pokes his head in the back grabbing a half full bucket of flowers from the cooler. If anything it would keep his hands busy. “Oh yeah?” He says as he begins working on a stem of iris, pruning back some of the lower leaves and diagonally slicing the end of the stem off before placing it in a display vase. Deep down Yohji was a little shocked. It had been weeks since Aya had spoken more than a full sentence to him.

“What about? You think it’s our type of thing?” There was a hint of something that may have been akin to enthusiasm in his voice. Yohji never really liked the killing aspect of their job but a distraction right now would almost be a blessing. He wouldn’t have to sit around and fight off the ghost of Asuka for one thing. Asuka...he bowed his head slightly.

“Dunno.” He says. “When you are done, take a look at it. Guess the guy starting hitting people, got aggressive, got shot, THEN went ballistic.” Aya shakes his head. “Guess we’ll wait and see…” He slips the roses into some nice vase arrangements, his jaw setting a bit as he clenched his teeth. He was trying to be civil as per Kens request but he really wasn’t good at such things. Probably bringing up that he knew why Yohji was a wreck wouldn't’ be a good idea, really it was none of his business… was it? What the hell did Ken want? Aya to make an intervention? His brows furrow a bit.

The blonde finished off the rest of the bucket and moved the display onto a shelf by the window. “Hn...That’s odd. Maybe speed? Or some new drug?” He picked up the newspaper and scanned the front page with beer bottle green eyes. The bottom half of the front page held the article he was looking for. 

Apparently the man had been at a park harassing people. Witnesses reported that after a few minutes of yelling obscenities he had finally grabbed a man and just started punching him in the face. Police soon intervened and tried to take the man down physically using standard police judo training. After he severely injured several offices the decision was made to use the more drastic approach of gunfire. Two rounds to the chest dropped the offender but just as ambulances arrived on the scene the perpetrator sat back up and proceeded to attack the nearest officer biting off his nose and breaking his arm. In what appeared to be an attempt to escape the man grabbed a nearby woman and flung her into a tree breaking her neck on impact. After seven officers unloaded their gun clips into him the man finally went down. The park was closed off for investigative purposes. No statement has been given from the police yet except for the funeral dates of those deceased.

“Holy crap!” Yohji practically spit out the words.

Aya nods. “It stinks.” He mutters setting out the vases with the fresh clipped roses in them. He fell silent again, working quietly. It could be any number of things, Aya knew if it was something that needed them that they would hear about it soon.

The redhead finally walked passed Yohji and out to the front of the store checking on things, then just kind of stood out there. Small talk annoyed him a bit; he didn't really know what to say after his talk with the blonde that morning… the short and unproductive talk anyway. There was a lot going on in his mind but as usual the violet eyed assassin was unreadable.

Yohji eyed the redhead as he went past. He was acting off...even for Aya. The blonde honestly couldn’t remember making that call last night but he knew Aya wouldn’t lie about something like that. He wracked his brain trying to remember what he had thought was so important through the blurry night of booze. Yohji didn’t want to admit it but deep down he was very lonely. Ever since he’d moved into his own place things had gotten worse. Without the other boys around and the activity in the shop he had way too much free time. Not to mention they’d only been on 3 missions in the past 6 months and those were only because Omi was working so hard to find them things to do. Poor kid was probably exhausted.

He took a deep breath in, the air expanding the lungs in his thin chest. While Ken had been bulking up and Aya was coming out of the ‘thin’ territory Yohji had progressively lost weight. He’d always been rather lithe to begin with but dropping 10 lbs...most of it muscle had put him at borderline sickly looking. About the only time he ate an actual meal was when Ken forced him to take home leftovers. Most of the time he just lived off of convenience store food. His apartment lacked any real kitchen only containing a single burner, one cabinet and sink crammed into a 2 foot by 2 foot area. He’d never been much of a cook anyway.

“Say Aya…” He walked to the open door but didn’t step out into the fading afternoon light. “I’m...I’m sorry about earlier...I mean the phone call. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking.” It was probably the first and last time he would ever outright apologize to the redhead.

Aya looks over at him, raising a brow, just a subtle reaction as always. “It was just odd and concerning. Ken has been worried about you.” He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the wall a bit. “He doesn’t think it was a good idea that you got your own place, but I told him you were a grown man and could do whatever you wanted.” He shrugs his shoulders a bit. “You do what you want.” 

He was trying to be nice but it wasn’t something he was well practiced at. It was true that he cared. Aya cared TOO much and that was his problem. He tried so hard to feel nothing but in truth if one of his team needed him, he’d fight to the death for them. No one knew it though, as Aya kept those thoughts to himself. He didn’t want closeness… or did he? The redhead closes his eyes. Maybe he himself didn’t even know what he wanted. He opens his eyes again, getting a bit of that far away stare to them.

The smile on Yohji’s face is sad but Aya doesn’t see it. “Ken...he’s such a worry wart anyway. A real mother hen if you ask me.” He reached down into his apron pocket and drew out his pack of smokes. The Zippo he kept on him at all times flickered to life and he touched it to the end of the white stick between his lips. Blue grey smoke drifted lazily down the small street and the not all too unpleasant scent of tobacco permeated the air. 

The blonde didn’t want to over analyze things but the way Aya said ‘concerning’ made it almost sound like he cared. Yohji wasn’t going to fool himself though. His companion really only cared about two things and that was his sister and money. Sure he’d stand up for the team if necessary but that was more based on survival instincts than anything else. Better chance in a group and all that...On the surface Yohji’s opinion of the redhead didn’t go very far but who was he to judge? Most days he couldn’t get out of bed without wallowing in self misery over Asuka’s death for at least 10 minutes. His former lover haunted him so badly he might as well have been slowly killing himself to get away from her.

“Nah, I like living alone. Besides I don’t have to worry about keeping you guys up at night anymore.” He was of course referring to his previous habit of bringing women home at all odd hours then proceeding to have very loud sex with them. In the past it was a frequent complaint of the other three that he needed to keep it down. He never did though, almost enjoying their discomfort the next morning when he’d waltz the girl through the kitchen and out the back door while everyone was having breakfast. Now however, things were different. In the few months he’d inhabited his apartment he’d only ever brought one woman back and she was of a questionable nature. If he did manage to score, well, his credit card statement certainly told the tale of many nights in several of the local love hotels. Old Yohji would have complained that he was losing his touch. The lie slipped past his lips easily enough but whether or not his tone was convincing was highly up for debate.

Aya nods. “I like you not living with me.” There it was. Aya was with Yohji’s same thoughts about the bringing women home all the time. “Ken is only a problem in the mornings.” Ken’s good morning nature seemed to be a little conflicting with Aya’s more morose morning mood, but it was tolerable. Honestly Ken and Aya were getting along okay, but there had been a couple times they got a little aggressive at each other, and it was usually just wrong mood at the wrong time type of deal so far. 

Aya could see Yohji bluffing his way along not being in as rough shape as Aya knew him to be in. If he wanted to talk about it he would, Aya felt it was really none of his own business, but maybe Yohji figured he didn’t care? Did he care? This was a constant conflict in the redhead's mind. 

“Just don’t mess yourself up too bad.” He finally comments. Aya wasn’t fully sure if Yohji would accept what he said or get mad and tell him to mind his own business. It was hard to tell with the man sometimes.

“Yeah, I know you were just jealous anyway.” Aya’s words stung him a bit. It was a total farce. As far as Yohji knew Aya had absolutely no interest in either sex and for all intents and purposes was still most likely a virgin. With his ice cold exterior he’d probably remain that way for the rest of his life.

“You’d be a hermit if it were up to you.” He supposed he should be glad that Aya was even still a part of their lives and that Ken was keeping an eye on him. Still though, Yohji kind of wished he was the one living at the shop with Aya, not Ken. 

That thought struck him pretty hard and he almost choked. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and coughed hard. There was no way he was jealous of Ken, no fucking way! You’d have to be a masochist to want to live with Aya.

Aya glances at him, raising a crimson brow. “What was that all about?” He asks curiously. It was honestly hard for the redhead to understand Ken or Yohji at times. Omi was a little easier until he had moved in to learn the family business. He couldn’t help but to resent the Takatori family to this day… but he learned not to resent Omi in particular. 

“Hn… Living alone wouldn’t be so bad, but you are right. No one would ever see me again.” He shrugs. After he had taken down Reiji Takatori, Aya had moved away and taken odd jobs to pay for his sisters hospital bills. He never even called once in that period of time.

Wheeze…”Just swallowed wrong.” Yohji finally regained his composure but was now sweating bullets inside over that last thought. His poor psyche was just not quite ready to deal with that dawning bit of realization at the moment. Instead it threw up a defensive wall.

“You know Aya; I’m beginning to wonder why you’re even still hanging around.” He took one last drag off his smoke before crushing it out under foot. “You could leave this all behind any time you want. Not like you’re paying for your sister to stay in the hospital anymore.” 

Folding his arms across his chest he looked at Aya hard. He knew why, or at least why he himself stayed and his gut instinct told him it was the same for Aya and Ken. They didn’t belong anywhere else. Outside of Weiß there really weren’t a whole lot of options and assassins did not frequently get the opportunity to retire. It was the closest thing to family any of them really had.

“I’m surprised really; we’re getting shit for pay at the moment. I thought you’d be long gone.” He knew he was breaking down the little ‘positive’ responsiveness he’d been building up in Aya this afternoon. But Yohji’s defense was in destruction, it was easier for him to break whatever he touched then try to be too gentle with it.

 

Aya narrows his eyes, turning a bit. “None of your damn business.” He spits out immediately, himself noting the change in the others demeanor a bit and reacting accordingly. “I don’t care why you or Ken or anyone hangs around.” He turns and goes back into the shop and starts preparing to close up. Damn bastard, there was no way he could keep his promise to play nice to Ken now. Yohji was back in cold shoulder zone.

Yohji is forcefully shouldered out of the way as Aya barges back through the shop door. “Fine, it may be none of my damn business anyway but I wasn’t talking about us, Aya...I was talking about you.” He blocks the doorway with his body. “You’re always such a stuck up frigid bitch to everyone. You act like you can’t stand any of us but all of a sudden Ken’s alright for you to be around!”

Oops...there went Yohji’s subconscious again only this time it was probably really going to get him into trouble. He walked in and slammed the sliding door shut behind him. “Damnit!” 

Aya glares at him, his eyes boring into the blonde. “Ken doesn’t get under my skin as badly as you do, that is for sure.” He spats. “He sure doesn’t try to nose into my business.” He takes a deep breath. “He isn’t falling fucking apart at the seams either.” A jab at Yohji’s direction that time. Though it was true… “You want to hear it? Well fine. There is NO place in the world for me. I don’t deserve any other life now. This is now who I am and I’ve accepted that. There. You happy now?”

Yohji was a little red in the face by this point. So that was it, Aya actually couldn’t stand him. No wonder, the blonde knew he could be a royal ass prick but he just couldn’t help himself. It was easier than breaking down that wall he kept everything behind and losing it all together.

The blonde’s arms hung limply at his sides and his face was suddenly down turned. Aya was right about one thing there wasn’t really a place for any of them. They were all locked together in this strange sort of hell. Oddly though, Yohji found that he wanted another life for Aya.

“Damnit Aya!” He crossed the small room quickly, backing Aya into the register counter before he could react. Placing both hands on the counter on either side of the redhead’s waist he stared him hard in the eyes. “But you could start over! Your sister is safe, Schwartz is gone, Estet in ruins. Why the fuck don’t you go and have a normal life?! You say there is no place in the world for you and yet your sister is alive and would welcome you back with open arms! You’re the only one of us that could get out and you refuse! I’m so sick of seeing you act like there is nothing to live for. Damnit, your sister is alive, go take care of her!”

What Yohji couldn’t say was that Aya had no right, his revenge was complete and though he had lost people it wasn’t the same as Ken, Omi and himself. Anyone Yohji had ever really cared for was dead and it was his entire fault.

Aya leans back a bit against the counter as the space was quickly closed between them but he never broke eye contact, his body rigid and defensive. “You are wrong about me.” He says. “If I had nothing to live for, I would have done something about that a long time ago.” He narrows his eyes a little. “What I stay for is my own business. Why the hell do you care what I think so damn much? Why the hell does it matter to you what I do with my life? I don’t understand.” He gives a hefted sigh.

Yohji’s anger quickly deflates again but he doesn't back away from Aya. “Because those things don’t exist for me.” His voice suddenly goes quiet as he feels the wall slowly crumbling within. “Omi has his family obligations and Ken...well Ken has you...and you don’t hate him.”

He looks up at Aya through heavy lashes the green of his eyes gone so dark they appear almost black. “I should know better than to expect anything from you.” Slowly he begins to back away his steps seeming a bit unsteady. “You all have ways to fill the void.”

Turning to the coat hooks on the wall he lifts his jacket off slowly with one hand. “Let me know if that article turns up anything.” He says in a completely deadpan voice. Walking back towards the shop entrance he flips the open sign on the window over to closed.

Aya’s eyes soften a bit, and he swallows hard. “Yohji’” he starts, then glances away pulling off his apron, “it’s not that I don’t care… you are wrong about that.” He says. “It’s that I care too much… and I don’t know how to deal with that.” He folds up his apron and puts it on the counter. “You all piss me off, that’s just that. I honestly just don’t know how to deal with it.” He says again. He felt a knot in his chest, tried to push it away. “There. It’s out there. Do what you want with it.” The redhead starts moving flowers back into the cooler. 

“He made you laugh,” were Yohji’s last words before he stepped out the door. He had already begun to shut down and the things Aya was saying by that point just weren’t really registering all that well. The shop door slid closed with a soft ‘shick’ sound and he was gone.

As Yohji walked down the narrow street he felt that ever familiar presence of Asuka’s ghost. Tears stung his eyes and he dropped his shades down from the top of his head. He pulled out a smoke, lit it and took one long deep drag then headed in the direction of the nearest liquor store.

Meanwhile Ken had started on his way back home carrying several shopping bags filled with Aya’s coffee and various ingredients for tonight's meal. He whistled happily as he strolled slowly through the park, a smile lighting up his face at the small children playing there, their mother watching over them protectively. Another couple of blocks and he’d be back at the shop.


	3. Chapter 3

Aya closed up the shop then kind of stopped, just quietly staring off into space. He could not grasp those final words as Yohji had walked out the door. He could not understand why his own opinion mattered so much to the blonde. Leaning against the flower shop counter he slid down to sit on the tiled floor. The redhead took a deep breath trying to sort out the events that had just transpired but all he could come up with was his inability to deal with it. 

He knew Yohji was about to go dive back into the bottle again but he was not sure about a lot else right now. “Who made me laugh, Ken?” He asks himself. Why would that matter? The redhead’s stony, cold gaze stayed on the floor in front of him. The redhead did not even look up when Ken entered the shop.

Ken nudged the shop door open with his foot. When he first came in it appeared that no one was around so he set the bags down and locked the door. It was odd that Aya would just leave the door open like that if he had to go out back for something. Picking everything back up to head upstairs he nearly dropped them again when he rounded the corner of the counter and saw Aya sitting there.

“Aya! Are you alright?” His voice almost broke with concern. “What happened? Where’s Yohji?” Ken immediately assumed the worse and glanced around for any blood or a body.

“I blew it.” He shrugs. “He’s probably half way into a bottle by now.” Slowly he picks himself up off the floor. “I just don’t get him. I don’t get you either but at least you don’t go swim in booze when I piss you off. You just get scary and leave for a while.” Aya pulls out the till to count it, trying his damnedest to shrug off the confusing feelings he was having.

Ken sighs and sets the bags down. It is obvious he’s a little disappointed with Aya. He knew after many long hours of observation that Aya could be hard to deal with. He also had learned when to leave the redhead alone. Now though, he could not quite just let things slide. “What did you say to him?” He had that disapproving parental tone to his voice. The brunette did not seem to pick up on the fact that Aya was trying to deal with some inner confusion.

“You know Yohji’s condition right now is kind of fragile. Can you really not control what comes out of your mouth?” Ken crossed his arms and waited for an answer.

Aya glared at him. “Look, maybe you should go talk to him. You picked the wrong mediator.” He points a finger at him. “He said some weird shit is all. I don’t know!” He crosses his arms over his chest. “He wanted to know why I didn't leave the life I now have and I told him to mind his own business. Why the hell should it matter what the hell I do?” He dropped his arms to his sides and headed toward the stairs to go up to the apartment, grabbing a bag of groceries as he passed them. “I don’t even know what to do with him anymore.”

Ken sighs again and closes his eyes. Sometimes dealing with Aya was like dealing with the moodiest creature on the planet. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea either. After all you said he hated me today.” He half yelled at Aya up the stairs then grabbed the rest of the bags and headed up.

He made his way into their kitchen and began unloading the bags rather noisily, banging things about on the counter. “He was probably asking because he’s your friend Aya!” It never occurred to Ken that this might be a pretty foreign concept to the redhead. Turning he looked to where Aya was putting something in the fridge. “We’re not just comrades in arms anymore; it’s much more than that now and you know it. You need to learn how to be a little more understanding.” He slammed Aya’s coffee on the counter.

Aya flinched a little, his nerves quite obviously on edge. “He has a problem with you, because he’s fucking jealous or something! I don’t know! Why do you think this is something I know how to handle? What makes you think I know what I’m doing? I take lead in missions because I know that! Being alive and being connected to other people is a whole different matter.” He cracks his knuckles on the fridge slamming it closed and curses under his breath. “I didn't say he hated you, he just seems mad at you all the time for god knows what reason. I just seem to exacerbate the issues.”

Aya rubbed his sore knuckles a bit. “I seem to do that to everyone. That shouldn't be news to any of you.” He grumbles.

Ken was rather impressed at Aya’s sudden insight but did not let it show. “Why the hell would Yohji be jealous of me?” He said it more for himself than for Aya. “Well, I don’t understand it either.” The last few months had been hectic, sure but Yohji seemed to be taking it pretty rough for some reason. He really didn't want to find out but he very well couldn't keep a clear conscious and let the blonde drink himself to death.

It was easy to see that Aya was pretty upset. “Here…” the brunette reached out for Aya’s hand, “you didn't break it, did you?” He gently grabbed Aya by the wrist examining the bruising knuckles. Aya’s skin felt so soft under his own rough hands. It was hard to believe sometimes just by looking at him that Aya was a highly trained and lethal assassin. Sometimes he looked more like he should be in a movie or on the cover of Vogue.

Aya watchee him intently. “No… just… whacked it good.” He sounded almost defeated. “Look. I guess I should apologize to Yohji, I don’t know.” He sighed softly. “I don’t understand him. Just…we are all going a little stir crazy.” The redhead bit his lip a little then uttered another grumble. “He told me I should go back to Aya… he told me I could let go of this life and live a normal one and none of the rest of you could. I just don’t get why he is so damn worried about what I’m doing. He doesn't understand at all why I do what I do and it's really none of his business anyway.’’

“Sometimes I don’t even understand why we do what we do.” Ken grabbed an ice bag from the fridge and wrapped it in a hand towel hanging from the oven. He handed it to Aya. “I don’t know why he would say something like that either.” Ken really did not want to think on that one too deeply though. Something was really eating at Yohji and as Ken stood there watching Aya the smallest flicker of understanding began to bloom in his brain.

Aya biting his lip like that was incredibly distracting and Ken kind of had to pull himself back into the moment. “I think Yohji is confused about a lot of things right now. I also think it wouldn't hurt you to apologize to him. I’m not asking you to go over and hold his hand while he sobs into his beer but I think your inability to read people might have really hurt him.” Fact was Ken would most likely be the person to have to go over and hold Yohji’s hand while he sobbed, you know if the blonde hadn't frantically been rebuilding the wall since he’d gotten himself a bottle.

He nods a little putting the ice on his knuckles. “I’ll call him or something. Something tells me he might try to kick my ass though.” Aya was not sure of that but he did not feel like he could actually go confront Yohji right now. 

“Ken?” He looked over at him, making eye contact. “Why do you put up with me, anyway? I can’t be easy to deal with.” At least he could admit that much.

The faintest flicker of red rose to Ken’s checks before vanishing a moment later. He sighed. “I think, it’s because I can put up with just about anybody really. You've gotta do a lot to severely piss me off.” 

He took a step closer to Aya again but then hesitated. “Plus, I mean I can’t exactly crash in Omi’s dorm room or at his family’s estate and I’m pretty sure I wouldn't be able to handle all the cigarette smoke not to mention the mess from living with Yohji. It was different when we all had our own space but, I’m kind of stuck with you man.” He grinned but it was a little forced. He was also keeping his hands behind his back, not normal body language for Ken who was normally so outgoing and expressive.

“Yohji’s probably pretty drunk by this point anyway but I promise I’ll call him after we eat ok?” He looked at the half put away groceries on the counter. “Fettuccine Alfredo sound good?”

Aya tipped his head a little. It was obvious the redhead was trying to read him and making judgments on the others odd body language. “Yeah… it does. Anything you cook is good.” He tells him. “There is more on your mind, I can tell that much but you tell me whenever you feel you want to.” He turned and started putting away the rest of the groceries leaving out what Ken had bought specifically for their dinner.

Ken let his eyes drop from Aya’s face. “Thanks, I’m glad you enjoy my cooking.” Somewhere deep down that little sentence of appreciation from the redhead made him really happy.

“Ha, and I said you couldn't read people.” He was really feeling a touch embarrassed now although he could not quite pinpoint the exact reason. He had a feeling though that it might have something to do similarly with the way that Yohji was acting. At least Aya was good at letting things go, at least with him anyway.

Ken began to pull out a pot and sauce pan. “It won’t take too long, if you want to go shower and change. Should be done just about the time you get out.” He filled the pot with water and set it on the stove to boil adding a pinch of salt.

“I can read body language just fine. It is more emotions and what people don't say that I have an issue with.” He says. Aya makes his way toward his bedroom to grab some clean clothes and his towel. Honestly a shower did not sound like a good idea, he had one after work every day but today it would just be more time to himself to think. 

He closed the bathroom door and striped down, testing the water then climbing in. He had fully intended to 'in and out' it as best he could but he ended up lost in his thoughts. Why would Ken making him laugh bother Yohji so much? The words ‘He made you laugh...’ rang through his mind quite a bit. It confused him, a lot. Did Yohji want some sort of connection with him? 

“Why me of all people… I thought I made it pretty obvious that I don’t want to get involved… but I guess… I did it anyway.” he murmured softly. Taking a deep breath he washed and rinsed his hair. 

Getting out of the shower and grabbing a towel he stood in front of the mirror staring at his form, scars big and small cross his body. How could he explain that to someone who did not live a life like they did? How could anyone expect that of him? He scoffed a bit and pulled on a black tank top and some blue jeans after drying off then came out of the bathroom.

The smell of delicious food wafted its way down the hall and Ken could be heard puttering about. They had a small table pushed against one wall where more often than not they shared meals together. Ken was lost in his own thoughts as well. He could not deny that over the course of the last few months he had been growing a bit more attached to Aya. He had never questioned it and often pushed it to the back of his mind, simply writing it off as a byproduct of them living alone together. ‘Weren't people who lived together usually close?’ 

He thought back to the time he had spent with the other boys at the previous flower shop. They had all been on a more or less friendly basis but in many ways it was pretty professional. Ken and Omi had bonded a few times over video games so they were probably what you could call the closest thing to friends. Now though, with Omi being gone so much of the time that little bit of a tie between the two of them was wearing away.

What was Aya to him anyway? A friend for sure by this point, at least he considered them such but something else nagged at him. When he was in the J-league he had never really had much time to date. Life was simple and all about soccer then and Kase had been his best friend. That all changed rather abruptly. The scar on his shoulder itched a bit with the thought. When he had first joined Weiß he briefly had a relationship with a girl he had met at a local soccer game. She was cute and nice but the pressures of becoming an assassin had proved too much for Ken at that point and he broke it off. Then there had been Yuriko, the first woman he had ever loved. There was still a little stab of pain in his heart over having to give her up. It was the right thing to do, of course but it still pained him. She had also been the first person he had ever slept with and she had been very understanding; she never teased him about his lack of experience. So up until this point he had never had a reason to question his sexuality. The issue just never raised its self.

He turned around to grab the pot off the stove and jumped when he saw Aya standing there. “Jeezus man!” Aya was so cat like quiet at times he would have made a wonderful ninja back in the day. “You startled me.”

“That’s not the first time. I always do that. You day dreaming?” He questioned him, pulling out some plates from the cupboard and putting them on the table. Aya grabbed his own plate and dished up, admiring it a bit. Ken had really gotten into this culinary hobby of sorts and it seemed to be panning out. If it were up to Aya it would be take out all the time. He did not think he was a bad cook, he just was not that into it. 

He sat down watching Ken a moment before digging into his food. “Yohji… said that you made me laugh. It was the last thing he said when he left. I guess you did that one time…” He shrugs a shoulder a bit, tapping his fingers on the table a few times before taking another bite. 

Ken dished up his own food and set it on the table. “What are you drinking?” He pulls a half full bottle of white wine from the fridge. Lately since he had been doing so much Italian cooking he had started looking into what wines went good with what dishes. He poured himself a glass then offered some to Aya.

“You’re just so damn quiet sometimes. I pray they never send you to assassinate me.” Ken tried to remember the incident Yohji seemed so fixated on. Really he couldn't remember, he had probably just been goofing around and caught Aya on a good day. It had been a complete and utter coincidence. "I guess I did, but so what?" The brunette shrugged.

“Well you can be rather stoic...all the time.” He smiled relieved in the fact that their little fight had not escalated. It took Ken a lot to get there but he had a pretty bad temper when you pushed him too far. It had been worse last year when all the shit had hit the fan but he felt like he was better adjusted now and rarely had outbursts anymore. He had felt himself being pushed in that direction by Aya’s emotional incompetence earlier and it worried him a touch.

Emotionally incompetent...yeah...no wonder he does not see it. He really hoped that what was going on with Yohji was not what he thought might be going on. Right now it was easier to focus on that then his own muddled feelings.

“I bet if he walked through the door and I started laughing at him he’d get mad about it.” He took the wine, poured a little giving it a taste with his meal. Aya gave an approving nod. “Good choice.”

Aya would not know the feelings Ken or Yohji seemed to be having about him even if they punched him right in the face. Truest of all, he did not feel he deserved friendship, let alone love. It was taking him a lot to cope with the idea that maybe it was not completely his decision; it took two to make even just a friendship. He only played the role halfheartedly though; maybe that is what frustrated Yohji and even Ken the most? 

“I’m going to get fat.” He mutters having already downed half his plate.

Ken grinned triumphantly at him. “You could gain 40 pounds and still not be fat. I’m just glad you like my cooking.” Ken actually had barely touched his own plate but most of his wine was gone already. A dangerous combination that empty stomach and wine, Ken was a bit of a lightweight. He could already feel the effects of the wine mellowing him out a bit. Probably would not hurt him to be overly chill when he finally called to check on Yohji. He did not want Yohji pushing his buttons either. “And no he probably wouldn't like that.” You sarcastic bastard, Ken thought to himself.

Even for all of Aya’s coldness Ken could still find something a little charming in his attitude. He was not sure exactly but he felt like Aya’s dry sense of humor played well against his general go lucky nature.

“If you don’t eat that, I will.” He gestured to Ken’s plate with a waggle of his pointer finger. “Besides, you are the one getting heavy. Not fat though.” Aya had considered joining Ken for some of his exercises but really Aya did not need the bulk as much as Ken did and he was a little bit more on the lazy side when it really came down to it.

Aya heard the phone ring from the little sitting area off the kitchen. He got up to answer it and was quiet for a moment listening. “Yeah, I’ll make sure everyone is here.” He says, then hangs up and sits back down. 

“That was Birman.” His voice took on a bit of a hushed tone. “She’s going to meet with us tomorrow afternoon for a mission briefing.” With Yohji not living with them, there was usually a call much like that one to make sure they were all gathered at the appropriate time. Birman usually did not just show up out of the blue anymore.

Ken’s eyes widened a bit. “I wonder if it has anything to do with that article in the newspaper.” He tried to squash down the feeling of pleasure because of Aya taking a notice to his hard work. The brunette wanted to become stronger; getting the crap kicked out of you by a psychopath will do that. He also knew that the other members probably could not take a hit as well as he could so, if he could take that shot for any one of them he would.

“You think we should close the shop then tomorrow?” His eyes lingered a little longer on Aya’s lips than he had meant too. ‘God Ken! Get it together.’ He chastised himself internally. Maybe the wine had not been such a good idea. Taking a large bite of his pasta he hoped that it might help.

“Yeah, we can open it in the morning, those are usually our best-selling hours anyway then close at noon.” Aya said thinking out loud. “I have a gut feeling it has to do with that article, but I guess we will know for sure tomorrow.”

The redhead had been staring at Kens food for the longest time but his eyes caught a glimpse of Kens burn scar, just the edge of it from under his sleeve. Ken’s career and his public image had been drug through the mud so badly from that scandal… 

His mind lingered on that for a bit before he found himself thinking about how well built Ken had gotten over the time he had known him. He looked good. Aya’s eyes darted up to Kens face, then to the window. 'What a weird thing to think about.' 

“Yeah, sounds like a plan.” Their conversation at this point was really just hollow. Neither was totally paying attention to what the other was saying. “I’ll make sure Yohji knows tonight and I’ll call him in the morning too. I’ll drag his hungover ass over here if I have to.”

He caught Aya’s gaze for just a second before those violet eyes landed on the window behind him. “Speaking of the devil, I really should call him before it gets too late.” Ken got up from the table suddenly knocking what was left in his second glass of wine onto his shirt. “Damn.” He smiled at his own clumsiness. “Well at least I've got another for tomorrow.” Without thinking he pulled the blue work polo over his head, his brown hair fluffing out a bit from going through the neck opening.

The scar on his right shoulder was big and came a good ways onto his chest as well. After the fire when he had been in the hospital the doctors said he was lucky he would not need skin grafts. Still the area was raised with angry looking scar tissue. Little peaks and valleys formed there like the surface of some strange landscape. It was a pretty sharp contrast to the rest of his skin. He tended to do a lot of his cardio outside and without a shirt, so he was always fairly tan. The area of his scar however never darkened and always remained lighter. Ken was not self-conscious about it at all, it was simply a part of him and a reminder of his past. He almost wore it like he was proud of it. As if somehow that burn scar was compensation for some of his sins.

Aya turned his head again. Hell, if his eyes wanted to look who was he to stop it? He just eyed the other man quietly for a while. He himself had never questioned his own sexuality, as it was just something he did not tend to think about very often. He did not really think it mattered much. The redhead did not think he would ever be able to reciprocate a relationship with anyone anyhow.

“Yeah if I call him he might get pissed off again. I have that effect on people.” He got up and started picking up their dishes, casually finishing off Kens dinner for him and then cleaning the plates before putting them away. He would let Ken just have at calling Yohji, he was not sure he himself was good for the disheveled man right now anyway.

Ken did not really appear to notice Aya’s wandering eyes as he was fishing in his pocket for his cell. The blue shirt hung limply from one hand. “Yeah...it’s probably best if we keep you two separate for a little while, at least as much as possible but if we've got a mission coming up who knows?” He walked past Aya accidentally brushing the other man's shoulder in the small space of their kitchen.

“Sorry…” Ken half mumbled as he moved into the hall and hit the button for Yohji’s cell. While it was ringing he meandered past Aya’s room, the bathroom and then down to the end of the hall where his room was. “Hey, man. How ya doin?” Was the only thing Aya heard before Ken shut the door.  
Aya watched him go, feeling him brush past him gave him an odd sensation he was not terribly familiar with. He turned his attention back to cleaning up after dinner, washing the cookware and putting away anything that was left over. Even Aya had gotten too full to eat all of it. He would jack that as a midnight snack or breakfast for sure. 

He stopped at the fridge for a moment. The redhead should probably stuff it down Yohji’s throat when he saw him tomorrow. The man was looking thin and gaunt more than normal. “Idiot, probably not eating.” He mutters to himself, putting it in the fridge and closing it. He idly wondered how the conversation was going in there but he was not the type to eavesdrop either way. If Ken wanted him to know he would tell him.

Aya went to his room opening the closet, his eyes falling on his coat and blade at the back. He reached out and touched the hilt of ‘Shion’ for a moment memory clouding his eyes before withdrawing his hand and closing the door again. Part of him loathed himself for his life but part of him yearned for it all the same. He plunked down on his bed and sat there quietly, pulling his book from the nightstand. Reading would keep him distracted some.

Since the bathroom was between their two rooms it provided a bit of a buffer but that still did not stop the sound of Ken’s raised voice from filtering into Aya’s room. It was quite muffled though and impossible to make out exactly what he was saying. His voice would boom and then stop for a moment and then boom again. It strangely had an effect like the booming of fireworks going off in the summer time. Obviously the conversation was not going well.

Yohji had to of really been provoking Ken. Ken after all was the one who kept basically saying Yohji should be handled with kid gloves right now. Who knew what obscenities the drunk blonde was spitting at him over the phone.

One phrase did manage to make it fairly clear to Aya’s ear. Ken must have been close to his door when he said it. “Just be here tomorrow!” An eerie silence followed that winding its way through the apartment like a thick mist.

Aya was sitting perfectly still after the last audible words were said. Well that obviously went very poorly… Yohji was probably hammered. Aya stirred shit on accident but when Yohji was drunk it almost seemed like he enjoyed doing it. It certainly was not the first time he had been confrontational.

With a light sigh he stands, dropping his book to the bed and goes to Ken’s door giving it a knock. “Ken?” His deep voice coming through the thin door. Part of him thought about marching over to Yohji’s and giving him the what’s for but really in the end he knew that wouldn't help. Both he and Yohji were stubborn and it would probably just get really messy.

A loud thump came from the inside of Ken’s room, it sounded suspiciously like a fist hitting the wall. That was a bad sign, Ken was known for beating the crap out of inanimate objects from time to time in the past. Yohji must have really said some awful things to put the brunette in such a mood.

“What!” Came his reply, his voice all sharp edges like the blades of his baghnakhs. His heavy footfalls came closer to the door.

“You got mad at me for pissing him off, just sayin.” He calls through the door. “I guess I started the snowball though.” The redhead leans against the door frame a bit. “Do I need to knock your ass out or what? Put a hole in the wall and I’m hurting you.” It was hard to tell if Aya was trying to neutralize Ken’s anger, or if he was just failing miserably at that whole idea all together. Humor after all was not his strong suit.

Ken’s door was yanked forcefully open from the inside. He was still in nothing but his jeans, his chest heaving slightly. The brunette's eyes were dark and shadowed by his hair. Any rational human being would have backed away at that moment. Ken looked like he could seriously hurt someone.

He did not give Aya a chance to flee. One of his large fists reached through the open door and grabbed the redhead by his shirt pulling him inside. Aya was strong, there was no doubting that but Ken had a good 20-25 pounds on him and it was mostly muscle. Swinging the other assassin into his room he slammed the door shut then pushed the redhead up against it.

His own body pressed against the others so that he could not move. Ken brought his mouth up to Aya’s and laid a hard kiss there gripping the front of the redhead’s shirt tightly.

Aya could beat Ken in a fight only if he made sure to be faster than him. Ken was a powerhouse for sure and seeing Ken’s hand reaching for him Aya could never have foreseen.

Aya’s amethyst eyes were wide, trained on Ken as the other came pressing his body against his own and kissing him. He was frozen there, his breath catching and all together halting for a few moments. His body was rigid and stiff but suddenly relaxed a little, a hand reaching up to Ken’s chest as if he were debating between a quick shove or not. 

He weighed his options for a moment, unsure of his feelings now, but the sensation churning in his chest did not feel… bad. That was the most curious part for him. All these thoughts and feelings seemed to be going in slow motion from his side, though it was only a few quick moments that they all transpired. Aya’s hand finally just slides down Ken’s chest a bit and he closes his eyes a moment, maybe he was enjoying this. What that meant was yet unknown.

Ken pulled himself away just as suddenly as he had pressed in on Aya. He was breathing heavily, one hand resting on the door beside Aya’s head. He was silent for what felt like minutes, the time seeming to tick by ever so slowly.

“Get out.” His voice was low and menacing. “Get out... before I hurt you.” It was the last thing that Ken wanted to admit but he really just wanted to lay into Aya heavy and deep. He wanted to throw him on the bed and not give the man any other choice but to submit. It was wrong though and he knew it, he knew deep down that if he was going to follow this path this was not how he wanted it to start.

In Yohji’s drunken rage he had called Ken out saying some pretty awful things, all in a desperate attempt to deny his own mixed up feelings. Ken had not been prepared and after being already a little raw from his fight with Aya earlier it had pushed him too far. Yohji just had a way of fucking up everything.

Aya was frozen for a moment just staring at Ken. It was obvious there were a lot of things tumbling around in the redheads mind but he did not know how to even speak at that moment let alone figure out any of it. He nodded slowly, usually the one to step right up toe to toe with Ken but he had been caught completely off guard. 

He nodded again, a little more quickly this time reaching behind himself searching for the door knob. With no avail at that attempt he finally just turned around, opened the door and walked out. Part of him really wanted to confront Ken but also in a room as small as that one there was not a lot of space for him to get away from Ken’s strong punches either. It probably would not be a good way to start a possible upcoming mission if he was nursing wounds of any kind.

The redhead closed the door behind him quickly and went into his own room shutting the door. He was starting to feel a little angry, maybe even embarrassed. Aya just fell back on his bed and shut off the light staring up into the darkness. That bastard was going to make him give a shit about him and Aya was not sure if he was really ready for that… though with what had just transpired he really was going to have to gear himself up quickly for a whole new realm of emotions he had kept long locked away.

A few more telltale thumps issued from Ken’s room before all went silent again. Ken knew he could not stay in the apartment tonight. He sat on his bed with his head in his hands for a moment. “Stupid, mother fucker…” he muttered under his breath. Looking up he saw the three fist shaped holes in the wall across from him. Staring back like some sort of strange judgmental three eyed monster. Blood was running down his knuckles. Not caring for the wine soaked work shirt he picked it up and wiped his hands clean then went to his dresser and pulled out a long sleeved black t shirt. He pulled it down over his well-muscled chest and headed for his window grabbing his spare keys along the way. 

Even though they were on the second story it was an easy drop to the street below. Ken needed some air, he needed a fight. Something, anything to help work off his aggression and silence Yohji's hurtful words still bouncing about in his head. It was only 8 pm and the trains would be running for another four hours. He decided to head into the heart of Tokyo and blow off some steam.

Aya called it a night, he did not even bother to get undressed; just curled up on his side and pulled a pillow over his head. Sleep was not going to come easy but after several hours of questioning himself and the events of the night, he finally drifted off. The redhead knew Ken was probably going to take off, he had before when he was in a shit mood. Although until tonight those had been pretty few and far between. Tomorrow morning might be just a little on the awkward side but he vowed to take it as it came.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun seeped through Aya’s window before he realized it. Somehow by the grace of the gods he had actually fallen asleep. It kind of seemed like a dream; the night before. He got up and changed into his work clothes, b-lined for the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair, then went down to the shop. The redhead was staring hard at the floor all the way down into the dimly lit shop.

Ken was nowhere to be seen and the shop remained as it had after closing the night before. It looked like Aya was going to have to open the shop by himself, if not run it for the entire morning. The brunette was normally so dependable when it came to work but when a bad mood struck he could be pretty unpredictable, who knew when he would return.

He lets out a deep sigh putting on his apron and pulling everything out. Aya counted the till then opened the shutters, setting out a few potted plants in front of their display window. He just worked and tried not to think. When it was all done he stood leaning against the register counter waiting for any customers that may come, his fingers absentmindedly touching his lips. When customers came in he finally snapped to and took care of them and things stayed fairly steady after that finally slowing down toward noon where he closed up as he had planned.

Just after Aya had closed down for the day he heard a bit of a ruckus coming from upstairs. Ken had just climbed back in the window and made his way towards the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror for a second disgusted by what he saw. His hair was disheveled, face dirty, shirt was ripped and he had a nice big purple shiner on his left eye. He could not believe the guy had actually gotten the better of him for a moment. He also could not believe he had not made it in time for the last train either. It had been a rather miserable night all around.

Kicking the door shut he stripped and stepped into the shower. God he was such an embarrassment to himself. Not only did he have to face Yohji and Aya this afternoon for their mission briefing with Birman, he had a black eye on top of it and had not slept. Some coffee and painkillers were definitely coming up in his near future.

Aya tipped his head, hearing the other had returned. Well he had to see him before anyone else; still had to change out of his work uniform. Aya went upstairs and into his room, changing into one of his gray shirts with the cording crisscrossed in the front and some black jeans, he sat on his bed putting on his boots. The redhead wondered if Ken was still mad. Sometimes it would take quite a while for the brute to really calm down. He got up and went into the kitchen reaching in the fridge for a bottled tea.

The stream of running water in the shower stopped and soon Ken emerged in a billow of steam, his skin pink from the hot water. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and his dirty clothes under one arm. For a brief moment he thought he saw movement in the kitchen and made a mad dash for his room.

After dressing in baggy cargo shorts and a worn in soccer jersey from his favorite team he finally ventured into the kitchen. His eyes looked at Aya briefly for a moment then he went straight to the coffee maker. He was not sure which was worse...speaking or remaining silent. He chose silence not knowing how Aya had taken the events of last night; he figured it was the safer option.

Aya turned around breaking the silence. As always the redhead had something to say. It was not always a lot, and it was not always taken well, but he always had something. 

“You look like you got your ass kicked a bit.” He had yet to see the shiner but he could tell from the man’s body language that he was a bit sore. “I should have just fought you last night if that is what you wanted.”

Ken rolled his eyes towards Aya. “That’s not what I wanted.” He put a little emphasis on the last word then filled the coffee cistern with water. Moments later the dark brew; Aya’s Premium roast filled the kitchen with its enticing aroma. “You want some?” He pulled a mug down from the cabinet and filled it. The brunette did not bother putting cream or sugar in it. He drank it straight up black.

The flavor triggered the memory of his lips on Aya’s last night, the faintest taste of coffee lingering there. It made Ken’s stomach tie up in a knot. He turned fully towards Aya now, knowing he could not keep the bruised eye from him forever.

Aya startled a little; just the most subtle jerk of his head but it was there. “Dumbass.” He sighs deeply. “I should hog tie you next time you get that angry.” He was not sure if it was a smart move or not but he took a few steps toward Ken, his breath catching in his throat. Honestly, Ken looked attractive roughed up like that. Aya was beginning to think Ken could not manage unattractive no matter what he did. He had not really noticed it much until recently. “Ken.” He says the others name in a tone that was somewhat unusual, softer, was it concern? “Be careful... or I’ll kick your ass.” It seemed Aya had a hard time being completely gentle with his words but it kind of got out what he really meant.

Ken stared at him for long moment trying to process what the other’s words actually meant. If he was upset about last night, the kiss anyway, he did not seem to show it. Ken took a long swig of his coffee and winced a little. Apparently his lower lip was split just a bit as well.

“I ah...just needed to blow off some steam is all. I got distracted and the guy landed a punch on me.” He sucked at the split in his lip tasting just a bit of metallic. “Should of never happened.”

He looked at Aya standing a few feet from him, their tiny apartment seeming so much smaller all of a sudden. What had once been a cozy environment now turned into a claustrophobic space where it was impossible for them to give each other room. Their small bedrooms were really the only private places the two had.

“Heard from Briman yet?” He shifted uncomfortably, realizing his ribs were bruised a bit too. ‘Damn that guy got the better of me.’ 

“Not yet, said she’d be in around 1 pm.” He glanced at the clock. Not too far off. “Well I hope you were able to get something off your chest at least, between me and whoever kicked your ass.” Aya finally says. He was wondering when Yohji would appear as well. Things were just going to get more and more awkward until a major blowout happened between the three of them. He could just feel it. 

“Just don’t overdo yourself. We don’t know how heavy we are going in on this mission yet. For your sake I hope it’s just an in and out recon.” He frowned a moment, then shook his head finally walking up beside Ken and reaching past him for a mug, his tea forgotten on the table. 

Ken inhales sharply at Aya’s sudden nearness. He catches a whiff of the expensive shampoo the other man used and again his stomach tightened. It was going to be such an awkward day. He wanted to say a few choice things about Yohji but decided under the circumstances that probably would not be the best idea. The brunette had never known till that point just how cruel Yohji could be. He hoped that Aya did not notice his tenseness, but that was unlikely.

He looked at Aya, blue-green eyes searching the others face. “I...I’m sorry I lost my temper so badly. It was either this,” he indicated to the black eye, “or do something that I’d really regret later on.”

The redhead nods. The reality of it suddenly clicked in his mind and his cheeks flushed a bit. He tried to brush off the sudden butterflies in his gut. ‘That was weird.’ He pours coffee and steps back drinking it quickly even if it was a bit too hot on his tongue. 

Aya lowers his mug and takes a deep breath. “Ken… just… try not to let Yohji get to you while Birman is here.” He tries to shrug off that odd feeling in his gut, but it was proving to be difficult. “We can talk about feelings and regrets all we want after the meeting.”

Ken nods knowing that Aya has a good point. He would do his best to behave but he could not do a damned thing if Yohji started causing trouble. “You really want to talk about it?” He seemed a little shocked by Aya’s last statement. He figured the redhead would want to just ignore everything. Also, Ken was not even really sure he wanted to talk about things. If he did admit certain truths to himself it could jeopardize a lot. There were a lot of what if’s floating around in his head at the moment and he knew he had to have a clear mind for the upcoming mission. He just did not know how to deal with it with Aya constantly being near him.

“Just clear your head and we’ll get to work. I’ll give you another black eye if this gets messed up." His tone was not malicious though when he said that but he still meant it. They could hear the shutter opening downstairs, which meant either Birman or Yohji or both. Aya nods to him. “Keep your cool.” He turns and heads down the stairs. Birman was there waiting for them looking quite handsome in her blue pant suit. 

The roughed up brunette went to the bathroom and pulled a bottle of painkillers out of the medicine cabinet. He swallowed four with the rest of his coffee then left his mug on the sink. Really, really, really hoping that it was not Yohji that just came in he steeled himself and headed for the stairs.

Birman stood chatting quietly with Aya when Ken reached the bottom; he let out the little puff of breath he had been holding. The brunette throws his hand up in greeting but does not say anything simply heading for the back room.

When they had first moved in there was not a lot of concern about a place to hold mission briefings but, as time passed it became apparent they would have to do something. In cleaning out the back room Ken had found a trap door under an old rug. It lead down into an old basement that looked like it had not been used in a decade. A couple of weeks later he had managed to clean the space up pretty well. He even went so far as to furnish it with a table, chairs and a large bean bag cushion he had procured from the recycled furniture store in the next block. They kept a few seasonal decorations for the shop in the back but other than that it was relatively bare. The only power source came from an overhead lamp which was why he had not installed a TV yet. He reminded himself to ask Omi about that after the mission briefing. Kid may be heir to one of the most powerful families in Japan but he was still a tekkie geek at heart. He would be sure to find a way to at least run a cable and power source for them.

Aya and Birman trailed down after him. Birman was tapping a pen to her lips, case files and a laptop under the other arm. It was unsure what the two had talked about but she did not point out Ken’s black eye, or even glance at it.

Aya sat down. “No sign of Yohji yet.” He folded his arms across his chest. 

Birman nods. “Well it would be great if he were here. I really do not want to send just the two of you. Mamoru will not be able to give assistance over the computer this time around but he has provided as much information as he can. 

Aya nodded a little, disappointment could be read on his face. Seemed the redhead wanted someone involved that was not in the middle of this weird tug of war going on between Ken, Yohji and himself. “Give him a little longer. Yohji was probably drinking last night.” Aya puts his hands behind his head and leaned back a bit in his chair. 

Birman goes ahead and hands Aya and Ken some of the files. They were full of newspaper clippings, witness accounts, police reports and photos dealing with the men and women who supposedly went berserk after being shot.

Ken flopped himself down in the bean bag and began to flip through the file. The clippings started out small, strange events with people getting into fights but as he leafed through them more the articles got bigger and bigger finally ending with the half page spread that was in yesterday’s paper. “Hn...Whoever is behind this has been busy.” He didn’t know why Birman wanted all three of them out on this one but if Yohji did not show it was going to be rough.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door opening upstairs. A few seconds later the lock clicked and footfalls could be heard coming into the back room. The blonde walked down the steps into the basement all dark and broody. His hair was loose today and fell in waves past his chin. Yohji’s eyes were covered in his favorite pair of sunglasses which he did not bother to remove. A black turtle neck and black jeans, plus black harness boots completed the look. It almost looked like he was ready to go out on a mission then and there. The only thing that was missing was his garrote wire wrist watch. “Sorry I’m late.” He directed the statement at Birman and never once looked at Ken or Aya.

Aya did not seem to even twitch when the blonde arrived, staring intently down at the file in his hands. All of his attention was focused there like it was the most important thing in the world.

Birman nods. “I’ll let it slide for now. This could be done with two but three would be best.” She starts. “We’ve linked all of the men and women who went berserk to one hospital. All went in for physicals and vaccinations. We are not sure why these specific men and women were chosen as of yet but we are pouring over what we could get our hands on about blood types and conditions. We need information downloaded from their servers, in particular documents from a Dr. Inumura.” She turns a bit handing Aya a flash drive. “Mamoru sent this over, put the files on that. He will handle going over them when you return.” She puts the laptop down on the table opening it up to a map of the hospital. “The servers are in this room with guards standing by 24 hours. We need you to get in and get out without being seen. Three pairs of eyes for lookouts should handle it. Maybe make a distraction if need be. The logistics of course will be up to you three.”

“I’m gonna assume by the nature of this stuff that there is probably going to be a high level of security.” Ken pushed himself up from the bag and went for a closer look at the map on the laptop screen. The room was in the basement of the building, next to the morgue and biohazard disposal room. Normally the inner workings of the hospitals wireless systems were in a much more accessible place. The very position of the room confirmed at least some level of cloak and dagger activities.

“We’re gonna have to be careful on this one. With that biohazard room next door they’ve got the perfect place to dump evidence it they need to leave in a hurry.” He put his hands on his hips all business all of a sudden. It was like the events from the previous day had not happened. He only hoped that Yohji would be capable of maintaining such professionalism. Maybe a mission was just what the blonde needed to get back on track?

Aya glances between Ken and Yohji a few times, then to the screen. Aya was having much the same thoughts. He knew he himself would not have a problem focusing. He needed them to be able too however. “Well, we can come in from different entrances. We’ll just need to get through the electronic locks or past security.”

Birman hands him a small device. “This is from Mamoru. Put it on any keypad and it’ll work it out. He spent days calibrating that, so be careful with it.” She smiles. “I shouldn’t have to remind you but be sure you bring your ear pieces to keep in contact with each other.”

The redhead takes a deep breathe. “I guess we’ll go in tonight then.” He stands up, leaning down to get a real good look at the map, then nods to Birman. “I’ll do it.” Aya tried to get his head into the game but things were still rather awkward. Just the air about the three of them seemed heavy. He knew Birman could see it too.

Birman finally sighs brushing an invisible speck of dust from her jacket. “You all in?” They still had the choice of backing out if they wanted to.

“Yeah.” Ken says his voice deep and serious. “I can play doctor if it’s needed. Maybe grab a lab coat and slip in if you guys can keep me in the clear?”

Yohji nods his assent having not said a single word since his half assed apology to Birman. He turns to Aya, “Meet back here after dark?” His voice is definitely on the gruff side. It sounded raw; hoarse like when you scream for too loud and too long.

Birman nods. “Alright, well you figure out what you want to do and who does what. There is a name tag in there for an intern so a new face wouldn't be an issue for that.”

Aya opened up the folder he had and pulls out the name tag, they would just need to put Ken’s picture in there and that was easy. “Alright Ken, I guess you get to play doctor. I’ll go in as security so that I have access to the cameras. Night would definitely be our go time. Birman, I’ll need a uniform.”

“I’ll work the upper floor and provide some distractions, try to keep people from the basement as much as possible.” The fact that Yohji was actually being helpful and not making some silly comment about taking care of the nurses was almost disturbing. He may have been super rough around the edges but it was plain to see the mission was his driving force. He did shoot Ken a look over the rims of his glasses for just a second though. His green eyes were pretty badly blood shot. “I’ll be back after nightfall.” He turned and headed back up the stairs and out the front door.

Birman glances at the boys. “I don’t know what’s going on, but do not let it interfere with the mission.” She says very curtly. “We don’t have room for error.”

Aya just nods. “Yeah… we are fine.” He responds almost as curtly and gets up, grabbing the files and going upstairs to the apartment to sit at the small dining table and study them.

Birman eyes Ken up and down a few times. “You look terrible. Are you guys having some issues we need to know about?” So far Weiß’s track record of working together had been good but this type of work changed people and if they needed to remove one of them for the sake of the team it would be done.

Ken kind of smiles guiltily at her. “I just had a rough night; it’s out of my system now.” That was not entirely true...he did not think he could get Aya out of his system at this point. He might have kissed him last night because of Yohji’s insults. Something about him not being a man enough to take what he wanted and calling him all sorts of derogatory names had just fanned the fire. Ken had managed to back down though, realizing that if he had acted because of Yohji’s words it would have really, really messed things up.

“Don’t worry Birman, we’ve all just been cooped up a little too long. He gave her a cheesy thumbs up. “The work, well it keeps us focused and there hasn’t been a lot of it lately.” Tucking the file under his arm he asked, “Is there anything else?”

“No, nothing else.” She smiles. “I’m just always surprised to see you bruised up instead of Aya. I can’t view him as an easy person to live with. You two have been doing well so far.” She of course did not know all the events that happened and did not spend enough time around them to even guess. With that she went up the stairs and left. 

Aya was trying to read the files, focus on the maps, memorize… but he could not get Ken out of his head. He could not get last night out of his mind. “What a pain in the ass.” He mutters to himself finally leaning back in the chair he sat in and taking a deep breath, slowly exhaling. He was getting frustrated already, which was totally unlike him.

The brunette meandered up stairs trying not to think too hard on things. Trying not to think about what Yohji had said and how messed up he seemed to be right now. He could not believe how quickly he had gone from feeling like he should help the blonde to wanting to punch his face in. The phone call had been to check up on him! He shook his head brown hair falling into his eyes...’need a haircut.’

Making it to the top floor he reached into the bathroom to grab his mug off the sink there and place it in the kitchen one. He noticed Aya leaning back in the chair his head thrown back, eyes closed, white throat exposed. It made Ken stop in his tracks. ‘Dammit, just ignore it.’ He thought to himself but could not quite stop himself from looking.

Aya knew he was there, having heard him come up the stairs and into the apartment but did not seem to react to his presence for quite a while. Finally he tips his head forward and leans up again. He glances over at Ken, gives a sharp short whistle to get his attention. “You are zonin out.” The redhead tells him seeing the vacant look on his face. Yohji was a bit on his mind as well, seeing the guy so roughed up and he was not even the one that went out the night before to get his ass kicked. 

“Did you put ice on that when you got back this morning?” He gestures to his eye. “Nothing broken I hope.”

Ken shakes himself back to reality. A little scenario had started in his head about grabbing Aya by the hair and running his lips and teeth over that pretty throat. He coughed a little and went to put the cup in the sink. 

He briefly touches his fingertips to the swollen purple skin around his eye. Luckily it was not bad enough to swell it shut, it sure as hell would be pretty colors for a couple of weeks though. “Nah, didn’t have time.” He leaned against the counter not quite trusting himself to actually sit with Aya at the table. “I don’t think so...ribs are a bit sore. I don’t even remember taking a hit there.” He looked down. “So, as much as I hate to say it...Yohji kind of looked...well scary.”

Aya nods. “I’m not sure what he said to you, and I don’t understand why I seem to be the focus of all this, but it needs to be figured out. Seems bigger than something we can ignore. I don’t even know what to say about any of it, I plan to refuse at all costs calling Yohji for any reason now ever.”

He turns back to the files. “Problem is, I can’t even focus right now.’” He gives another deep sigh, getting up to pour himself another cup of coffee.

Ken scoots to the side to give Aya some space. “Yeah...I’m having a bit of a hard time concentrating as well.” He felt super guilty about that. They only had a few hours to prep for their first big mission in months and after Birman had left his work drive had all but dissolved.

Ken swallowed…”Aya...I’m not even sure how to approach this.” He looked over to the redhead. “I’m having some...confusing thoughts about...you.” He fidgeted slightly. “Up until last night they hadn’t been too much of an issue. Yohji said some pretty awful things and got under my skin, got me to thinkin’ too though.” Blue-green eyes flickered away, a golden afternoon light washing the room in warmth through the tiny window on the other side of the room. “I...I think Yohji is confused right now too.”

Aya stands there staring just past Ken but it was obvious he was listening. He shifted a bit, nodding a little. “Well last night pretty much let me know about your confusing thoughts, I’m not sure what Yohji is getting at… I don’t understand why I’m suddenly a focus as I get reminded constantly how cold and mean I am all the time.’” He closes his eyes a moment, as if thinking about Kens words carefully.

“Ken, I don’t know exactly what your little heart desires, but I really don’t deserve any kind of attention like that.” He finally says bluntly as if that settles everything. 

Ken’s eyebrows shot up. It almost surprised him that Aya picked up on what he was getting at. The man was basically a cold fish 99% of the time. Ken figured Aya probably thought he was after a smear of that alfredo sauce from last night on his lip or something. Apparently the redhead was not as oblivious as originally thought.

He pushed himself away from the counter and walks the short space so he is standing in front of Aya. His face is burning a little and he is sure there are fucking capillaries bursting all over his skin. Lifting one hand he reaches towards Aya’s cheek barely brushing his fingers over the porcelain skin there. “I think you sell yourself short. You’re cold and distant but it’s because it hurts you too much to let all that care come to the surface.” He closes the space between them a bit. “I don’t know why I’m feeling this way.” He shrugs slightly, large shoulders straining the fabric of his jersey slightly. “I just know that being here with you these past few months has been really good, it feels nice.”

Aya’s cheeks flush a little at Ken’s words. A reaction out of a man that never reacts to anything, as small as the reaction was. He did not know how to fully react. It was easy to turn Sakura down as he had no feelings for her and she was a lot younger than him to boot. This was something he was completely unprepared for. 

“I don’t know… how to handle this.” He finally admits out loud. “I honestly feel and have lived my life accordingly that I don’t deserve...” Aya frowns and stops talking for a moment. “I guess… I wouldn't have to explain to you my battered body.” That was really one of his hitching points about relationships of any kind outside of work. “Besides, I still pick fights with you a lot for the hell of it.” He also had to admit that. He did not think on it before but maybe he wanted Ken’s attention and that was the only way he knew how to get it, even if it was negative.

A small smile escaped from Ken’s mouth for a second. “You think I’m handling it any better?” He almost laughs but quiets quickly. Without thinking he tugs at the laces on Aya’s shirt a bit his index finger flicking across an old scar under the other man’s collar bone. “These are a part of you.” He drops his hand then pulls up the sleeve on his right arm. “Just as much as this is a part of me. But it doesn’t define me. It doesn’t make me less worthy. We’ve all made mistakes Aya, we all have our sordid pasts.”

He let the sleeve drop. “Besides, I can diffuse you pretty quickly anymore. When you’re in a mood and try to stir something up I know you really don’t mean it, at least most of the time.” He tried not to smile. “It’s kind of cute, actually.”

Aya tips his head a little confused. “It’s cute, that I pick fights with you?” He shakes his head a little. “You are a weird one.” He had flinched a little at Ken’s touch on his scar but it was small and hardly of note. “Did Yohji spark some of this? I mean… I didn’t seem to notice any of this in your day to day actions around me.” The redhead was not sure quite how to word it. “I mean… it went from zero to obvious real fast.” Though he felt that was a stupid thing to say, nothing more obvious than a rough kiss though. “If you wanna kick someone’s ass I’ll gladly throw you down and kick you in the ribs a few times to keep you from goin’ out to find a fight.”

“Yohji said some things...yeah. I was already pretty raw from being pissed at you about fighting with Yohji. I didn’t expect him to bite my head off when I called.” Ken shifted his weight back and forth trying to think of how to explain this mess to Aya. “I was kind of tipsy to boot. I mean...shit Aya I was just sort of happy to let things be...maybe in denial a little bit too. You know, don’t rock the boat and all that. I wasn’t even really sure myself...still kind of not sure. I don’t have a lot of experience with this type of thing.” He trailed off for a moment.

“It finally clicked though...You know I really loved Yuriko and it hurt so much to let her go but those few days we had together were...well kind of amazing. She made me feel amazing just simply by being there. I just wanted to be around her, there was no expectation.” His eye suddenly looked up into Aya’s. “I...think I’m feeling like that around you.”

Aya’s gaze locked with Ken’s but it seemed he was struggling to keep the eye contact, he was unsure… his body language said it all. Where Ken had Yuriko all Aya had was a bit of his past he really was not proud of. The bit of his past before Kritiker doing everything he could think of to get by… for Aya-chan’s sake. He frowned a moment as those memories came flooding back and he shook his head. 

“I guess, I always wanted your attention but I wasn’t ever sure why.” He was putting that out there, letting Ken know he was not completely adverse to the idea of a sexual or romantic relationship. He had always backed away from such things in the past as he had a life he could not explain to just anyone. He never in all this time thought of one of his brothers in arms becoming an option.

Ken spent a few moments trying to read Aya’s body language. In the few short years he had known the other man he had never once seen him express any sort of romantic interest in anyone. Sakura had sure tried but Aya had never reciprocated. Ken always attributed it to the job and his undying loyalty to his sister’s welfare. After all none of them had a great track record with women...most of them ended up dead. That thought stung him a bit. It had never occurred to him that Aya might have some other reasons. He almost wanted to ask but knew he did not have a right. Aya was incredibly private about his past. He had after all kept Aya-chan a secret for as long as possible.

Ken smiled with pleasure hearing Aya admit to wanting his attention, even if the redheaded baka did not know why. There was so much Ken wanted to get out on the table but he did not want to scare Aya off either. The fact that he was even admitting this small little fact was near a miracle.

Aya glanced down finally breaking the eye contact. He looked like he was having some sort of inner war about his feelings. The redhead finally just gives a strange little laugh. “There is obviously a lot we need to get out and talk about and here we are, sprung with a mission.” He rubs a thumb over the knuckle he cracked on the fridge last night a little bit. 

“At least it’s an easy in and out job; this is kind of run of the mill stuff so far though I do feel it might go deeper.” He glances up at Ken, reading the others face. His eyes narrow a bit as if he is really intent on it. His mind was really going over all of Ken's words, analyzing them…. maybe even over analyzing them but he really could not help it. He was so guarded that he felt he could not be too careful with anything. It was against his nature.

“Right…” Ken backed up a bit, “mission.” He did not want to think about it. He kind of did not want to go out and deal with it and Yohji but there was no way around it. Maybe tomorrow he and Aya could talk some more? His eyes landed on Aya rubbing his knuckle and he reached out to grab the hand. Bringing it up to his lips he kissed the tender flesh then released the others hand.

“Got a couple of hours or so. I’m gonna go prepare, you should too.” He pulled the name tag out of Aya’s folder. “Besides I gotta get ready to go play Dr. Sexy.” Grabbing his own file he walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to his room.

Aya blinks, watching him kiss his knuckle then walk away. “Dr. Sexy?” He repeats shaking his head. He caught himself even smiling a little before sitting back down at the table and burying himself into the file. 

He stayed there for several hours before looking up at the time, realizing they should eat light before heading out. Birman had dropped by again with a uniform for Aya and one for Ken. Aya had no idea what Yohji was going to do on this but he just hoped it was productive. 

Aya makes a couple sandwiches just an easy meal, heading back to Ken’s room and knocking on the door to give him one.

“Come in.” The closet door in Ken’s room was open a locked trunk was lying open on his bed. He was straddling a chair and oiling the leather on his Baghnaks. He gave Aya a little smile when he saw the sandwiches. For the most part Ken was kind of the domestic one. Seeing Aya with the plate was a little out of the ordinary. Ken took it as a good sign. “Mmmm…food.” His stomach suddenly grumbled having realized it had only had a cup of coffee since yesterday.

Aya hands him a plate with two sandwiches on it. “You were too distracted to eat all day. He stands in the doorway eating the one sandwich he made for himself. Aya certainly did not eat as much food as Ken did but he did not have as much muscle to fuel either. Really the redhead only ate a heavy intake when Ken cooked, which is why he had put on some pounds over the last few months. 

He did not really have a lot to say at that time, obviously already in mission mode. He finally turns and walks from Ken’s room to his own. All he would really have was a wristwatch much like Yohji’s. He really could not sneak in Shion being under cover as he was. Ken and Yohji were the ones that had easier to conceal weapons. Aya’s job tonight would be watching the security cameras and keeping an eye out on the server room for Ken to make sure no one caught him in the act of copying the files.

Under the scrubs and large lab coat Ken would be wearing it would not be that hard to hide his weapon. He did not anticipate having to use them but wanted them ready just in case. He wolfed down the sandwiches and started to change. If anyone stopped to ask him about his eye he could just say a drug addict had been brought into the ER and got him in the face before they could sedate him. He attached his name tag to the lapel on the coat and slipped his gloves into a pouch strapped around his lower back. He had just stepped out into the hall when he heard the downstairs shop door open. It must be Yohji.

Aya was in the security guard uniform, just pulling on the hat as he heard the door downstairs. Immediately he got a little tense. He came out of his room, heading toward the stairs. The redhead took the steps two at a time down into the shop. He just wanted to get tonight over with as quickly as possible and was going to go ahead and bring Yohji up to speed on their plan. It seemed simple enough.

Yohji stood in the darkened shop wearing an outfit similar to Ken’s but without the lab coat. Just blue scrubs with his hair slicked back into a ponytail. He was without his trademark sunglasses. There were still bags under his eyes but most of the redness was gone from this afternoon. “Aya.” He greeted the redhead quietly. His posture and look was stoic. Whatever conflicting emotions the blonde had been dealing with he had found some way to push them very, very deep down. Green eyes did linger on Aya’s lithe frame a bit longer than necessary though.

Aya nods to him. “Ken has the drive, he is going to go into the server room and get the information. It’s our duty to keep people away from that area. I’ll be in the security room watching the monitors to give him a heads up of anyone coming close.” He tells him in a very matter of fact voice. Aya was definitely in mission mode now and nothing was going to deter him at this point.

“Just do what you can to keep people busy. We don’t have Omi here to do any of his computer magic for that, it’s just on us.” He pulls his keys out of his pocket. “I’ve got a shift I can’t be late for.” He murmurs down at his hands.

Yohji nods slowly pulling an earpiece out of his pocket and slipping it into his ear. “Better check these before we head out.”

Ken comes slowly down the stairs putting his own ear piece in, the drive tucked safely in his pocket. He looks at Yohji then Aya and touches his finger to the device. “Are you guys live?”

Aya lifts his hand to his ear piece. “Live here.” He says and then drops his hand. He was fully ignoring the other two outside of what the mission entailed. “Alright Ken, let’s make this quick it’s on you.” The redhead says exiting out the door at the back of the shop and getting into his car. 

On the drive to the hospital Aya’s mind was completely on the mission, none of the events of the last 24 hours even lingered. He was good at focusing because of his ability to completely shut off when need be. The hard part was just turning back on again after the fact, which would probably make things awkward all over again when they all returned to their respective homes. 

Aya pulled into the parking garage nearby, going into the hospital quickly pretending to clock in and everything. All the scouting that had been done was in those reports he scoured over for the last several hours. He heads up to relieve the other guard, who gave him a questioning look. 

“Transfer.” He simply says before sitting down before the monitors. The less interaction the better he felt.

Ken had taken his motorcycle and Yohji his own car. It would have looked a bit suspicious them all arriving together. After the two had parked they split up quickly, Ken going in through the ER entrance and Yohji through the main.

The brunette smiled at the security guard as he swiped his ID through the machine. The door opened with a loud buzz and he was admitted into the Emergency treatment wing. ‘So far, so good.’ Things seemed relatively quiet for the moment and there was little chance someone would try to pull him in to help with the injured. Taking an appropriately slow amount of time he made a round through the ER then turned down the hall towards the bathrooms. No one really seemed to take much notice of him. This being a major hospital there were interns and doctors coming and going all the time. It was sometimes hard to keep track even for the regular staff members. At the end of the hall was a wide elevator, obviously used for transferring patients to other wings should they need to be admitted. Before pushing the button he glanced up to the Camera in the corner on the ceiling. He gave it a bit of a half-smile and wink then punched the button to open the doors.

Aya saw it and quirked a brow. Damn bastard was too happy to live, he thought to himself. Aya messed with the console to get all the cameras aimed just how he wanted them, eyeing the hallways and most importantly that server room. It was a very busy night in the hospital and so there were very few bodies down in that area except a guard by the server room door. They had gotten off very lucky.

“Got a security guard by the server door, seems odd for a normal hospital to do such a thing.” He tells Ken through the earpiece.

Ken rides down in the elevator to the basement floor. “Right.” He acknowledges Aya. “Hey Yohji, anyway you can maybe get that guy away from that door for a minute?”

“Hn. I’ll work on it. It’ll take me a few so keep yourself busy.” Yohji’s voice came through cold over the device in Ken and Aya’s ears. He was definitely in work mode.

The wide doors opened and Ken stepped out into a long, rather dimly lit hallway. He looked left and then right. The morgue and Biohazard disposal room were to his left, the server to the right. He decided to veer left for the moment grabbing a conveniently left stretcher and heading to the morgue door. The security guard watched him but it was not with suspicion. He just kept his post, seeming to be bored out of his mind more than anything. 

Aya kept his eyes trained on that guard and the elevators making sure no one else stepped onto the scene. So far the area seemed pretty quiet but he did not want ken to run into any surprises. 

The morgue had one other man in there, most likely the guy in charge of autopsies. He looked up at Ken. “Another face, seems like there is always a revolving door around here.” He idly comments before going back to his work. 

Ken scratches the back of his head. “Yeah, just got transferred. In my first year of residency but I’m going between several different places at the moment.” He picked up a clipboard that had been left on the gurney. “So I’m supposed to be picking up a body from you for some family members to identify.” His eyes scanned down the list and he picked a name at random, the whole while his ears open for Aya’s cue that the guard was out of the way.

A few moments later the elevator doors opened again and Yohji came rushing out. “Hey!” He jogged towards the officer. “We’ve got a situation upstairs. Some thug is tryin to break in one of the side doors! It’s like right down the hall man on the floor above us, could you come and wave your gun at him and scare him off or something?” Yohji was sufficiently out of breath and panicked. “He’s really scaring the crap out of the nurses. I think he might be on drugs or something.”

The guard sighed and glanced around the hall. He had not been told why he was standing watch over this room but it was not like there was anyone really down here at the moment anyway. It would only take him a few minutes to go upstairs and scare off the guy. He would let the nurse guy freaking out in front of him handle the report should the police be called. “Ok, Ok...calm down.” He put his hand on his gun holster and began escorting Yohji back to the elevator.

“Go now Ken.” Aya says watching the guard and Yohji go into the elevator. “Make it quick. The server should be on the left side of the room.” He tells him. It was a tense moment but nothing they had not dealt with in the past. 

The other doctor in the room with Ken had his attention on getting the body on the gurney. “All ready to go, just bring him back in here when you are done.”

“Righto!” Ken quickly wheeled the body on the stretcher out into the hall. About halfway between the bio room and elevator he pushes it to the wall in the shadows then makes a beeline towards the server room door. As luck would have it Omi’s little pass code card worked like a charm.

The room was dark, lit only by the many glowing screens of computer monitors. To the left sat a larger machine its surface twinkling with many different colored lights. “Bingo!” He walks over and takes a few quick seconds to find the slot to insert the flash drive into. It took him a moment to figure out where the screen was and another more to locate the files. If it had been Omi things would have been done already. “Time? Aya?”

“I’d give you three minutes tops. Yohji is being a good distraction but the guard sees no intruder.” He says, watching Yohji try to point exactly where the guy supposedly was on one of the monitors. “The drive should go right to work, you got it hooked up?” He asks.

“It’s doing its thing. I tell you what Aya, this would have been so much simpler if Omi were here.” He taped his foot waiting for the machine to download. “I should be out in a minute thirty…” He hated the fact that they had lost their technical genius.

“Ok...done.” He grabbed the flash and slipped out the door. “There were plenty of cameras in there Aya. Make sure you get my close up all erased.” He headed back towards the gurney with his borrowed body. About 30 seconds after he had passed the elevator it opened and the guard came back in. Mumbling something about how the damn interns were not getting enough sleep and seeing shit.

Ken pressed himself close to the wall so the shadows swallowed him. When the guard had returned to his post none the wiser of Ken’s break in the young assassin wheeled the body back to the morgue. He opened the door with an apologetic look on his face. “Hey, uh sorry about this but I ran into the doc on my way back and he said the family wasn’t gonna be here for another hour. Better put this guy back on ice.”

“I’m on it.’” Aya says, he was already working the computers to make sure there was no record of what had transpired. It was an in and out job as expected. Who knew how long it would take Omi to decode what was on the drive and get back to them on the next step though. 

The doctor eyed Ken a moment. “Sure thing, just leave him there I’ll handle it.” He says. 

“Alright Ken, you go ahead and leave first, Yohji you too. I’ll be a few more minutes handling the camera evidence and I’ll leave when I’m done.” Aya’s fingers worked quickly over the keyboard.

“Thanks man, sorry about that. Guess I jumped the gun.” Ken left the room and headed back for the elevator. He had to admit to himself as he rode back up that even though nothing too exciting had happened it had been good to get out and stretch his legs. His spirits were pretty high as he made his way back through the ER Unit and slipped out the door just as an ambulance came around the corner. Once out of eye line of the door he booked it to the parking garage.

Yohji stood leaning against his car with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He watched Ken come walking up with a half glare on his face. Still raw from the yelling match last night he was having a hard time being around the brunette. He had kept it together inside but just seeing him and Aya in the shop earlier had rankled him. Having basically transferred his own confused emotions to Ken had not made him feel any better last night either. Still he could not help but to wonder if Ken was as thick headed as he seemed to be. He and Aya did seem to be getting along pretty well.

He stomped his cigarette out beneath a booted heel. “Are we clear?”

Aya got up from the security station. “All clear, get on your way.” He tells them, making as if he were going to take his break. He went out the side entrance, pulling out a cigarette and putting it to his lips. He never lit it but meandered his way to the parking garage until out of sight of the hospital all together. He b-lined for his car and got in, taking off the security guard hat and loosening the collar by unbuttoning it a bit.

He drove back to the shop right away, wasting no time. The cigarette still hung from his lips as if he had forgotten about it as he walked into the shop. They would regroup here and then go on with their night like normal. At least he hoped like normal.


	5. Chapter 5

It took some time for Yohji and Ken to show back up at the shop. Although why Yohji had even bothered was a mystery. Both walked in completely silent. Ken dabbed at his lip a bit where he had split it open again, obviously trying to control his temper. He had confronted the blonde in the parking garage. Probably not the smartest idea on his part but it had just sort of happened. Thankfully things did not get too out of hand. To the casual onlooker it would seem like two hospital workers having an argument over something.

“Seriously Yohji, you’ve got to stop doing this to yourself.” Ken looked to the blonde. “I know you won’t talk about what’s going on but yelling at me and accusing me of things isn’t doing you any favors.” He tried to keep his voice steady.

Yohji nodded slowly taking in Ken’s words with consideration. He knew he was fucked but did not want to admit to all the different ways he was. “I’m gonna stay away from the shop for a few days. Don’t call unless we get news from Birman.” He turned and walked out the door, a few moments later the rumble of his car fading as he drove off down the alley.

Aya was already upstairs, standing by the door at the top leaning against the wall. He was listening in this time. The redhead had a habit of doing that usually during missions but this time it seemed personal. He knew there was more to Yohji’s issues than met the eye and he knew he was a part of both the men downstairs having difficulties. Yohji’s take on things eluded him but he was not about to approach the blonde on it. When he heard Yohji drive off he lifted himself from the wall and went to the fridge, opening it and just staring blankly in at its contents.

A few minutes later Ken meandered upstairs. He pulled the flash drive from his pocket and laid it on the table. “We better be getting that to Omi soon.” The white lab coat was off in a flash and he was taking off the pouch that held his gloved weapons. He did not seem like he was bothered by the conversation with Yohji downstairs but he was still sucking at his lip. In reality he was trying to keep it cool. 

“Do we have any beer in there?” He walked up behind Aya and the open fridge door slinging his arm across the redhead’s shoulder and looking in. “What’s so interesting in there huh?” Ken’s attempt at playful banter fell flat.

Aya was of course frigid again post mission. He stood there stiffly and shook his head. “I don’t even know what I’m looking for, there is beer and sake and wine.” He was trying to ease out of his mission frame of mind but it just was not something that came to him easily, since it never seemed imperative that he do it until now. He glanced at Ken knowing he and Yohji took so long because they had a confrontation of sorts.

“That split in your lip is never going to heal if you don’t stop messing with it.” He adds.

Ken feels Aya’s rigidity and backs up a step letting his arm drop. “Hand me a beer then.” He does not comment on his split lip. The brunette really did not want to talk about Yohji, or think about him or even mention him for a few days. Maybe Omi would be rusty and it would take him a few days to un-encrypt that stuff on the drive. He knew that was something he probably should not be hoping for. Pulling out a bottle opener from the drawer Ken cracked his beer. It was not in his habit to drink after a mission. In fact he did not drink that often, he generally cared too much about what he put in his body. The little conversation with Yohji had put him on edge though and well Aya…

He should have known better to leave the redhead alone for the moment. Ken really did not want too though. A couple of quick chugs and half the beer was gone. While Aya was still nose deep in the fridge Ken took the opportunity to check out his ass in the tight fitting security guard pants. ‘Boy, you went gay real quick, didn’t ya Ken?’ Yohji’s words echoed sourly in his head.

Aya finally pulled out the sake. He always favored the type that was best served chilled. The redhead pours himself a little in a regular glass. He typically pulled out his sake set and enjoyed it the traditional way but tonight was not the night for it. Sitting down with his glass at the table he levels a stare at Ken. Aya’s body language was very rigid so it was really hard to tell what the redhead was even thinking, though it was much along the lines of wondering how the next few days would go. Yohji would not be coming by and the flower shop would be their only distraction from each other. His mind was slowly starting to unwind from the mission and focus to the present events though his outward demeanor had yet to reflect that.

Ken leaned against the counter and pulled another sip of his beer. “What?” He was still playing with his lip, running his tongue over the split. That little bit of taste of blood and alcohol in his mouth was doing something to his brain. His body betrayed his sense of defensiveness. The brunette did not want to be defensive with Aya but he could only handle so much in a 48 hour period. Good sense told him to finish his beer and go to bed but then he would be laying there in the dark with all these thoughts swirling around in his head. He was beginning to feel a little giddy. After all, the guy had not slept in over 24 hours.

Aya was watching Ken’s tongue play at his lip and it was starting to drive him kind of crazy, in a way he was not fully sure of. “Stop that.” He says then sips at his sake, still staring at the brunette. Aya was the king of being bossy as hell. Sometimes it seemed like he did it on purpose. Ken did have nice lips; it was a shame the lower one was a bit mangled. Aya frowned a little but did not break eye contact.

The brunette finished off the beer in one last gulp then set it down hard on the counter his top teeth sinking down into the already sore flesh of his lip. He made a droplet of blood spring up there for a minute, licked it off again then came over and sat down across from Aya never once lowering his eyes. “Does it bother you that much?” His eyes were a little glassy now.

“Yeah, it’s really bothering me.” He says having finished off his sake. He was feeling that warm tingle in his body but instead of being relaxed he was a bit on edge. “In fact if you don’t stop it, I’m going to put duct tape all over you face and stuff you in a closet.” Aya’s hollow threats seemed to get a little more elaborate than usual after he’d had a drink.

Ken smirks, “Duct tape huh? I didn’t know you were into that Aya.” Dammit he was starting to sound like Yohji now. “If you don’t like it then why are you staring at it?” He played his tongue over the slit again knowing it was driving Aya nuts. ‘Ken, you know better.’ His conscience wailed at him. For some reason, whether it was the booze, sleep deprivation or Yohji being an ass he just kind of wanted to see how far he could really push Aya. If he and Yohji had to suffer maybe Aya should too. It was childish but Ken just could not help himself.

Aya narrowed his eyes. “When did you… get to be so annoying?” He asks standing up and walking around to where Ken was seated. He looked like he might lay into Ken, suddenly reaching out and grabbing him by the shirt then dragging him up and out of the chair. Aya was lithe for sure but a bit stronger than appearances let on. Ken knew it too, having worked with him for so long. “Are you trying to piss me off?” He asks getting right in the others face, tension crackling through the air.

The redhead’s outright aggressiveness caught Ken off guard for just a moment. At least he was getting a reaction out of the other man now. The brunette almost enjoyed feeling the other man flex his strength a bit. Aya was deceptive to look at, all that training with the katana making him svelte yet strong and powerful. The force of Aya dragging him forward had caused him to nick his lip again. A little bit of bright red blood trickled down his chin. “Better than sitting here with a frozen statue.” Ken cocked a lazy, impudent grin at him.

Aya saw the blood and clenched his teeth together for a moment. “Asshole.” He snaps at him, pushing Ken hard up against the counter and covering the brunette’s lips with his own. It was a forceful kiss but what might have surprised Ken was it was not exactly the kiss of an amateur either. He pinned Ken with his body weight deepening the kiss, hands still clutching the front of the other man’s shirt in his fists.

Ken’s breath caught in his throat as Aya’s warm mouth smothered his own. The taste of the redhead’s lips and the salty metallic blood almost making his eyes roll back. He makes a grab for Aya’s hips then finds himself kissing the redhead back. His mouth softens to let the other assassin’s tongue in for a moment then he pulls back breathing heavy. Blood is smeared down both their chins. Ken growls and goes for Aya’s throat swinging the other out and around and back to the counter pushing his hips forward to trap him there.

Aya feels the room spin with him before his backside hit against the counter. He tipped his head a little to bare his throat to the other in an oddly submissive gesture. Eyes fluttered closed and his mind was in a bit of a haze now. He felt warmth filling his body that he had honestly never experienced before. It was a connection; he was not sure if it was a good or bad though. It did not feel bad. He knew Ken had been egging him on moments before and he had foolishly reacted. Let the tension of the situation get the better of him. Aya would have been embarrassed falling for a trap like that but he did not have room for that sort of feeling right now. 

His hands finally loosen their hold on Ken’s shirt, putting his arms around the other his nails biting into the brunette’s back. Aya did look good in red and that was not the first time he’d had blood smeared on his lips and chin but definitely not for the same reasons as now.

Ken mercilessly attacked his throat, nipping the pale skin then kissing, sucking, licking. His hands pulled at the others security officer shirt. The buttons scattered like thrown beads as Ken pulled the shirt apart. His large hands found the soft flesh beneath, traced the lines of scars over the others abdomen and chest. Finally his mouth found its way to Aya’s ear lobe and he teased the tender flesh there as well.

Aya hissed a little from time to time when the other nipped the sensitive skin on his throat. He seemed to get in a bit of a battle with the other, pushing his body against Ken’s solid form but he knew he could not out muscle him now. There had been a lot of tension over the last day or so and he was releasing some of it on Ken now. He pulled one of his hands back between them reaching up and grabbing his throat, just gripping for a moment or two before grabbing at his shirt again as if the shirt was offending him somehow.

The bigger assassin was really enjoying feeling Aya fighting back against him. The warmth stirring in his lower belly was not unpleasant but when the other reached up and grabbed his throat he felt it turn into an all-out fire. Reaching around, he grabbed Aya up under the butt and lifted him onto the counter forcing his legs apart with his knee. Pushing himself between Aya’s spread legs brought him into full contact with the other. Ken wanted the redhead to feel the urgency of the hot length straining against the material of his thin scrub bottoms.

Aya gasped a little as he was lifted up onto the counter, his legs clamping around Ken as he got in between them. He had some good strength in those thighs that was no joke. The redhead could feel every bit of Ken pressed against him and that only stoked his passion more. He grabbed Ken’s shirt by the back now and pulled, yanking it right over his head and tossing it. It happened to land in the sink of dishes but that would be the last thing either worried about for now. The redhead hunched forward a bit his hands now on Kens broad shoulders burying his face into the side of his neck, biting. 

Ken growled again and panted a bit as Aya’s teeth sunk in his neck. He was not even sure what exactly had happened to his shirt. “Planning on drawing more blood Aya?” Ken’s voice was husky but held a bit of a playful edge to it still. His fingers trailed up the others back beneath the open shirt. He pushed it down over the other’s shoulders breathing in deep. Aya smelled so damn good. The guy knew how to pick out cologne; it was always expensive and always mixed perfectly with his body chemistry. Somewhere in the back of Ken’s mind he wondered where Aya had learned how to do that. The thought quickly faded though as he felt himself throb against the inside of Aya’s thigh.

“Maybe,” he said, his normal cool deep tone was huskier a sound Ken had never heard from the redhead no matter what mood he was in. One pale hand dropped between them grabbing the other man’s groin and squeezing a little. He was sure that would get his attention more than anything. “What do you plan to do about it?” His breath tickled Ken’s neck as Aya spoke, the lithe assassin nipping him between his words. 

Ken could not catch his breath for a second. All his preconceived notions about Aya being inexperienced went leaping out the window in a grand suicidal gesture. “Holy, shit...Aya.” He leaned his head into the crook of the others neck panting heavily. “Please tell me you at least have lube.” His mind was frantic for a second. It did not matter how much either was worked up things would be pretty rough without it. As much as he wanted to flip Aya over right there he did not actually want to hurt him too badly.

“Bedroom.” He suddenly gave Ken a hard shove from his hand on his shoulder and hoped off the counter. Aya headed back to his bedroom, though it was kind of hard to walk by now. He knew Ken would follow. The redhead pulled open his nightstand drawer and pulled out his favorite brand of lube. That also put into one’s mind that Aya was not an elusive asexual creature and actually pleasured himself from time to time. He set the lube down on top of his nightstand turning around to face Ken again, his eyes raking up and down the others body.

Ken is almost seeing double and weaves a little in the doorway pretty much no blood left in his brain. He eyes the bottle and his mind starts working a bit wanting to ask all sorts of questions again. “Shut up…” Ken mumbles to himself under his breath. He did not give a shit right now why Aya had lube. The brunette entered Aya’s room for only the second time since they had moved in. The first being when they were moving furniture.

Aya’s room is decorated sparsely in dark, richly muted colors and his bed looked like a soft, deep colored plum and black nest. Ken hooks his fingers in the waistband of his pants and pulls down kicking them into a corner. His briefs conform to him like a second skin leaving not much to the imagination. No wonder the brunette was looking a little woozy, there had to be at least a pint of blood keeping that thing hard.

Aya raises a brow seeing what he was in for, reaching down to unbutton the security guard slacks he was wearing dropping them and stepping out. He was wearing black briefs but he was rid of those just as quickly. The redhead was fairly average in size but was not at all embarrassed to suddenly be nude in front of a guy he had worked with for so long. He was secretive for sure but body shame did not seem to be an issue. His pale skin and lithe body was a sight for the eyes for sure, the scars only seemed to add to his attractiveness. He knew Ken would have a trillion questions later but for now there was not much blood to feed the thinking part of the man.

Ken tilted his head to the side and looked Aya up and down. The man was fucking beautiful beyond anything even remotely natural. He did not think it was possible for him to get any harder but he felt another throb between his legs as the blood rushed into his cock one more time. He swallowed hard never taking his eyes off the redhead. Slipping out of the last bit of his clothes he crossed the short space, wrapped his arms around Aya and sent them falling into the soft feather mattress beneath them. He licked at the bit of blood still left near Aya’s mouth. The wound on his lip finally seeming to have given up the fight had stopped bleeding.

Aya puts his arms around him moving them up his body until he cupped his head in both hands and kissed him deeply, throwing a leg over Kens hip and clamping it down on him. That guy was going nowhere. He held him like that for a time, kissing him over and over before drawing back. He pushes Ken on his back and turns, sitting on his thighs trailing a hand down his chest to his cock and stroking him. The redhead seemed to know perfectly well what he was doing.

Ken was almost in shock, his body just completely responding on its own. He closed his eyes for a moment letting the sensation of Aya’s hand working just wash over him. Never had he felt anything so good. His first time with Yuriko had been good but ultimately awkward; they had never had a chance to improve on his technique. As it stood it was appearing that Aya had the upper hand in experience. He let the other stroke him, arching his hips up into the Aya’s hand as much as he could. Reaching over he managed to grab the bottle from where it had fallen on the bed.

Aya snatched the bottle from his hand popping the top and squirting some of the lube into his palm, rubbing it around a bit with his forefinger to warm it up a bit before returning to stroking him again. He leaned over kissing him, tasting his lips as his hand worked Ken over pretty good. He knew the brunette did not have a ton of experience and as much as he disliked that part of his past, he at least knew his way around sex from it. 

“Do you want me to sit on you, or did you have something else in mind?” He asks his tone calmer now than it was but still sounding rougher than normal. 

Ken blinked at him like he even had a choice. “I don’t know...maybe you should...” His cheeks flushed. Aya was getting him so worked up he did not know how long he would be able to last if he was the one controlling the thrusting. Certainly if Aya kept stroking him the way he was there would not be much hope of them getting any farther than the redhead straddling his thighs. He brought his hands up to Aya’s hips feeling how soft his skin was.

Aya crawled up him a bit leaning down and kissing him, reaching back with his hand using his lubed fingers to penetrate himself. He bit Kens lip when he slipped his own fingers into himself but not too hard. He was still mindful of that split in the others lip no matter how much of a lust filled haze he was in. Once Aya felt stretched enough he released Kens lip, grabbed that thick cock and guided it to him. 

It had been awhile for sure, a long while but his body responded quickly. He teased Ken a little just rubbing the head of the others member against him before taking a deep breath and pushing him inside. He took it slow at first but even so it still elicited a gasp from Aya’s lips as he settled himself over Ken.

Ken shuddered as Aya slid down on him, he was so hot and slick inside it made the throbbing almost unbearable. He was really even having a problem staying conscious at this point. Everything felt just so damned good. The little yelp from the redhead just excited him even more and his hips began to move almost on their own. Ken looked up to see the lusty haze in those violet eyes and thought he might die, his breath was cut so short. Aya almost seemed to glow on top of him his white skin illuminated by the light of the moon filtering in through the window. The brunette licked his lips running a hand up Aya’s thigh then tracing his fingers along the underside of Aya’s own member.

Aya leaned back, fully taking the other in. He tipped his head back and took a sharp inhale of breath through clenched teeth. Aya tightened a bit around the other then relaxed. He held himself up by his legs resting most of his weight on his knees, letting Ken move his hips as he wanted. 

“Don’t be afraid of hurting me.” He says, tipping his head forward again and locking eyes with the brunette. He shivers a little as Ken gently touched his member. Reaching out he grabs Ken’s shoulders and pulls him sharply into a sitting position. He rocks his hips kissing the other man, his mouth starting out gentle but growing more passionate as his own body started to regain its desire from initial penetration. “Fuck..” He breathed out the word between deep kisses.

Ken wrapped his arms around Aya’s waist pulling him down harder giving his first really confident thrust. His hands move down to the redhead’s hips and then around to his ass grabbing it firmly lifting Aya a bit before slamming him back down. He moaned loudly and rolled forward pinning Aya beneath him. He pushed the redhead’s legs up onto his shoulders trying to slow himself a bit. Sweat shimmered on his skin from the effort of driving himself deep into the other man. 

Aya lets his hands fall to his sides gripping the comforter on the top of his bed into tight fists. He tips his head back and cries out, the typically quiet man unable to keep himself silent. His body trembled a bit, his legs shaking on either side of Kens head as he takes him all the way. “Ken!” He cries out again, saying his name as if there were no doubt that Aya had perhaps had thoughts of the brunette before now. He tried to regain his composure but cannot lifting one hand between them to stroke himself. 

The sight of Aya pleasuring himself drove Ken almost over the edge. Somehow, miraculously he managed to hold back a bit though. His body, his voice...damn he did not realize till now how much, how badly he had wanted Aya and for how long. He leaned forward kissing the other man hard on the lips breathing out Aya’s name in the space between breaths. “I’m close…” His own body is starting to shake now but the only thing he really wants is to see Aya completely lose it beneath him.

He nods sharply, he could not say it but he was close as well. His eyes were locked on Ken taking in all of the other man over him. Suddenly his body tensed, clenching around Ken as his hips jerked and his legs locked down over Ken’s shoulders. “Fuck! Ken!” He cries out as he hits his climax. His free hand grabbed Ken by the back of the head his fingers tangling in his hair as he arched his back, squeezing his eyes shut.

Aya is squeezing him so tight he can barely get in the last few thrusts to finish himself off. The other’s hands tangling in his thick brown hair pulling slightly is what ultimately did it though. Ken jerked forward practically doubling Aya in half with his own body weight. “AAAHH, AYA...shit.” His hot seed spilled freely inside the other’s body in hot waves, the throbbing ebbing out like the flow of the tide. Ken did manage to push Aya’s legs down before collapsing on top of him, heart pounding wildly against his rib cage.

Aya put his arms around Ken pulling him close, trying to catch his own breath. The brunette was heavy he would say that much but it really did not bother him. There was something oddly satisfying about feeling the brunette’s weight over him like that. Aya seemed to enjoy Ken kind of taking a little control toward the end but he certainly had to guide him a bit before the brunette’s sexual instinct really kicked in. He would have to teach him a few things or just flat out show off what he himself knew. Either way worked for him. “I hope that calmed your damn antagonizing down a little bit.” Aya finally says his voice a bit breathless. When Ken did not answer Aya laid there quietly for a while, just holding the other man. When he finally drifted off it was into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

As morning came the bright sun woke Aya. He frowned a little before his eyes fluttered open, amethyst gaze landing on the mop of mussed brown hair near his shoulder. Shifting a little his brows furrowed deeply. He was a bit on the sore side this morning.

“Damnit Ken, don’t make me care about you.” He murmured quietly, raising his free hand up to rest the back of it on his forehead. His other arm was trapped under the brunette. Who was he kidding? He always cared and he cared about Ken more than the rest, he had for a long time. No point in denying it now.

Ken stirred slightly sensing the redhead’s movement. His eyes opened sleepily and came to focus on the man lying next to him. He started a little bit certainly not used to waking up next to someone. His eyes softened quickly though as the memory of last night filtered through the morning fog in his brain. "Morning..." he spoke lazily then placed his hand on Aya's chest.

Aya’s gaze drifted to Ken once again. His cheeks flushed a little making eye contact with the brunette. “Morning.” He says a little awkwardly but shook his head and even offered a small smile. “Sleeping next to you is like sleeping next to a dead body you know that right?” The brunette had been sleeping all over him. Aya had awoken with Ken almost in the same spot he had fallen asleep in to begin with. 

He brought his hand down from his forehead and rested it over the other mans, idly toying with the brunettes fingers against his chest. “I only have one demand and that is you making an amazing breakfast when we decide we want to actually move.”

Ken nuzzled into Aya's shoulder, his breath tickling across pale flesh. "Can't help it, always been a heavy sleeper." Rolling over onto his back he pushed himself up from the mess of blankets. The back of his hair was sticking out like some sort of strange cactus.

He glanced around briefly looking for his pants. "I would fly to Europe and back just to get you a croissant right now if you wanted it." Ken turned his head and smiled, “Whatever you want.” The whole morning was feeling a bit surreal to him anyway.

Aya sits up reaching and fussing with his hair to make it worse, running his fingers through it and tugging it up. “Nice bed head.” He slips his legs over the side of the bed, leaning forward and grabbing the scrubs off the floor. “You want these again?” He stood up slowly going to his dresser pulling out some briefs. “I’m going to get a shower.”

Aya was walking pretty stiff, he was hopeful some hot water would ease his muscles a bit. “Europe…” he comments thoughtfully. “French toast then?” Aya’s tastes in food covered pretty much everything; surprisingly he was not a picky eater. He turned to face the other stopping in his place staring at Ken. His mussed up bed head was oddly attractive somehow, probably because of what had led to it. The way the morning sun played off the others body was something to stop and admire as well. His cheeks flushed a little all over again.

Ken grabbed the pants from Aya. He felt weird at the idea of walking around their apartment naked so they would do until he could shower himself and put on some fresh clothes. “Ha, I don’t think Birman is gonna be wanting these back?” He chuckles a little then his eyes rest on Aya.

Noticing the other’s stiffness the brunette quiets for a moment. He almost felt a little guilty, his eyes moving up to glance into Aya’s own. “Sure thing,” he says softly rising up from the bed, the golden light playing off his tan skin. He really did want a shower, in fact it would be lovely to get in there with Aya and soap the other man up running slick hands over his pale body. Maybe he could rub some of the stiffness out of him as well and also get rid of some of that guilt. He did not say anything though and grabbed his briefs from the floor.

Aya watched him a moment longer then smirks; a small twist at the corner of his lip. “Invite yourself into my shower you pansy.” He tells him turning for the door. He could not stare at him much longer or a shower would never happen. Aya halfway considered just tackling Ken on the spot but he held the urge down. He was still a little wary of this situation and acted accordingly. Most of it was his struggle trying to relax. 

Ken blinked at him, had the look on his face really been that obvious? Aya seemed to be reading him like an open book now. He blushed furiously and looked away more of his inexperience rising to the surface. “A...alright. I’d like to join you in the shower.” His speech pattern was overly formal especially considering the night before. Ken suddenly seemed like an awkward teenager. It would take him a while to get completely comfortable with things. All of this was pretty new to him. Up until recently he had not even really been aware that he liked men. Maybe he just liked Aya? The internal struggle was pretty evident on his face.

Aya had not read him so much as been hopeful Ken would opt to join him. His plan B would have been making it kind of a command. The redhead could be pushy and seemed in a situation like this he did not lose that trait. 

He went into the bathroom; it was small so he quickly turned on the shower to step in so Ken could come in behind him. The redhead glances to the brunette when he comes through the door. “Sorry…” he finally says all of a sudden. The look on Aya’s face seemed as though he himself was more startled at the apology slipping from his lips than anything. What was he sorry for? Maybe a lot of things… There was so much really. 

Ken cocked his head to the side making him look like a confused puppy, albeit a rather large one. He reached behind him to close the door to the small space. The apartment was so tiny they did not even actually have a tub just a shower and it was western style to boot. It was kind of odd since they were in such an old building in an old neighborhood. The shower was also quite a bit newer so maybe the previous owner had it installed for some reason.

“Why should you be sorry?” The brunette slipped out of the scrub bottoms and kicked them to the corner before stepping up close to Aya. He felt a bit of the spray from the shower hit his bare chest. The middle of the floor still had the old style drain so there was not much concern about leaving the shower door open.

Aya looked up at him almost like a guilty kid for a moment, then frowns looking away. “For a lot of things.” He kind of scoffs a little, mostly chastising himself for saying anything at all. ‘Don’t be stupid Aya.’ He hears in his head. 

“Just … don’t take that apology as me backing out of anything. I figure if you want to put up with my shit attitude that is on you. I’m not going to push you away but it may take me a little while to get used to this.”

Ken smiles, somehow Aya’s awkwardness easing a bit of his own. Aya may have been the more experienced of the two but as far as actually being in a relationship went he was just about as much of a newbie as Ken. Ken of course did not know that though, simply reading it as Aya being a little self-conscious about the whole thing.

The brunette stepped in behind Aya in the small shower space. “Then I want to apologize too. I wasn’t quite myself last night. I know I antagonized the crap out of you, maybe I was just being a little vindictive for all the times I’ve had to deal with your crap.” He leaned his body forward into the redheads. “I don’t regret it though.” Wrapping his hands around Aya’s waist he kissed the back of the other man’s shoulder.

Aya actually leaned back into him instead of stiffening up like any other time they had any physical contact, be it a friendly arm over the shoulder or bumping into each other. 

“You were being a shithead.” He says. “I couldn’t make up my mind if I wanted to walk away or hit you. I guess kissing you became my answer, not sure why, but I don’t … regret it either.” He paused before finishing his sentence as if he were knocking out a brick in his guarded wall to admit such a thing. 

“But you’ve been around me long enough to know I’m not good at being friendly, so I guess you don’t have any surprises coming in that area. You know me well enough to know what you are in for.” It was almost like he was trying to convince himself more than Ken.

The brunette just nods letting a bit of the shower stream wash down his impossibly gravity defying hair. He almost looked like a character out of some anime. His hands idly trailed up the front of Aya’s body before grabbing the body wash from the small shelf in front of them. Each man had his own taste in shower necessities, Ken favoring more traditional masculine scents while Aya chose a more high end approach often times favoring the lighter fragrances. 

Ken had grabbed his own wash and squirted a bit into his hands. The smell was musky and spicy filling the small steamy space of the shower. Lathering it up he began to rub his hands up Aya’s body and over his shoulders where he rested them. Soon those large strong hands began kneading the flesh beneath.

He leaned in close to Aya’s ear. “I hope, I didn’t hurt you too badly last night.” The brunette was not bragging but he had come to realize that his size was quite a bit above average. It had even startled Yuriko when they had been together that first time.

“How do you function with an erection?” Aya says with a smirk, closing his eyes and leaning into Ken’s hands. “Well if you dish out a rub down like this you can do whatever you want to me.” 

“I am a bit sore, it’s… been awhile.” He notes to himself. “I am not complaining though, it’s to be a bit expected.” The scent of Kens body wash renewed thoughts of last night. The brunette always smelled clean like that body wash and it had suddenly turned from an average thing in the redheads mind to a comforting smell.

Working at the other man’s shoulders Ken found a variety of knots and ropey muscle tissue. It did not surprise him, after all Aya was the tensest out of the bunch even when he was just relaxing and reading. His body language always said taut like a bow string. Having survived this long as an assassin did that too you but most found a way to work around it. For Aya it seemed like his natural state of being. Maybe this whole ordeal with Ken might ease some of that constant tension? It seemed he was already getting used to the other’s touch.

He laughed, “It can be a bit difficult at times. Puberty was rough, but it’s always tough in some ways for everybody.” Ken could not believe he was standing in the shower of all places, with Aya. His face flushed again at Aya’s comments. Was it possible this was not going to be a onetime deal? Aya said he was not going to push Ken away. The brunette thought things would be a lot more awkward this morning than they had turned out to be and he was glad for it.

His curiosity about Aya’s past was growing. Yohji used to joke sometimes that the reason Aya was so uptight was because he had never been laid. Apparently that was not the case. As far as Ken knew, Aya had gotten into the business shortly after Aya-Chan’s accident and his parent’s murder had turned his life upside down. He did not seem the type to keep a girlfriend...or boyfriend for that matter on the side either. Maybe before, when he lived a normal life? Did he have someone in high school? Ken had always been too busy for that between school and his passion for soccer.

It seemed Aya could hear the gears churning in Kens head, his eyes closed enjoying the work over he was getting. The long silence that suddenly grew between them told him that anyway. The redhead was not sure how much he wanted to really talk about, as keeping secrets seemed to be what the man excelled at. It would not be fair to keep Ken in the dark if this relationship was going to continue and with Ken’s behavior Aya figured that the brunette would not be adverse to the idea. 

“You are good with your hands.” He said finally breaking the silence but was now reaching down for his shampoo to wash his hair. He squirts some into his hand and rubs them together, then starts working it into his hair. “I know you’ve got a lot of questions, and I can’t promise answering any of them will be easy. You will most likely get a nasty reaction out of me for even asking about some things but I guess that’s just how it’s going to be.” Really any of the times the boys asked about anything at all Aya would get grouchy with them, though in truth that had been less and less over time. Aya had slowly started to mellow out when Aya-Chan was able to live life again. It was almost more of a sadness than the revenge driven rage he always used to be in.

Ken considered Aya’s words, his hands dropping from the other’s shoulders to find his own shampoo. The hot water felt insanely good on his skin and he scrubbed vigorously at his scalp his elbows on either side of Aya’s body. Even though the space was tight the two did not seem to be getting in each other's way of bathing.

He had to admit that yes, indeed he had some questions...more like curiosities really though. Wasn’t it only natural to want to know? Ken at least figured it was but Aya had expressed no real interest in Ken’s sexual history so maybe he should just let the redhead tell him when he was ready.

“I trust you Aya.” He pulled the redhead from under the shower spray so he could rinse out his own hair. “I mean I trust you with my life. I know that you would do everything in your power to get me out of a mess if it happened. Hell you probably wouldn’t think twice about risking your own life and I value that part of our lives greatly. If there is something I need to know I figure you’ll tell me when the times right.” Ken switched their places again to lather himself up and condition his hair.

Aya nods, rinsing his hair when it was his turn then moving for Ken again. “Well I still don’t know all of your story either,” smoothing his hair out of his eyes, “I want … I want to know about you… more than as my co-worker, which obviously we are suddenly more than that. It’s all your fault.” He smirks. Once he rinsed out the conditioner in his hair he stepped out getting his towel from the towel hook on the back of the door and throwing Kens at his face when he shut off the water. 

“I would risk my life for you. It’s been that way for longer than I’d like to admit…” He finally says wrapping the towel around his waist.

Ken caught the towel and stared at Aya. It baffled him that apparently Aya was curious about his life and had been for some time. “I just figured you didn’t want to get involved with anybody too much. We all had our reasons for joining Weiss back in the day but the more we all lived and worked together the more I felt like...well that like everyone felt the same.” He roughly dried his hair with the towel leaving it a poufy mop on his head after he was done.

“Even now with Yohji acting up and Omi not being around much...I’d...I’d do anything for them;” He looks Aya straight in the face, “anything for you too. Even before all this...you guys are my family.” Ken could feel himself getting a bit worked up about the whole thing. He had always assumed that the other guys felt the same way. Aya had just admitted he did but now Ken was having doubts about the others. ‘Family.’ It was a word that left a sore spot in Ken’s heart.

Aya turned and looked at him, watching his face as he talked. “I never asked questions because I didn’t want to get involved… I held everyone at arm’s length. I never wanted to be friendly with any of you. We all take pretty high risks with our lives. I guess losing people I care about… again would be more than I could handle but now I think I’m getting passed that a little bit.” He shrugs his shoulders a little. “You have a bite mark.” He reaches up touching the side of Ken’s neck where he had bit him a bit harder than he thought he did. “Oops.” He drops his hand to his side again.

“I learned over time that becoming too cold… could turn me into the beasts we hunt in the night.” He suddenly says as if his mind is miles away. His thoughts drifting back to Sendai.

Those deft fingers on Ken’s neck sent a shiver through him. Crap he would have to wear a turtleneck or something till the bruising went away. It kind of made him happy though that Aya had ‘marked’ him. “Don’t worry about it. It just matches the rest of them.” He held his arms out a little bit as if showcasing the various blue and purple marks on his body. 

The redhead did have a point. In their line of work it was dangerous to make connections with people. Many lives had been snuffed out because of them and that was sometimes the hardest thing to get over. Hell, Yohji was definitely not getting over it. Ken pushed the blonde out of his mind not wanting to break the peace they had made here.

“You’re right, you know?” He reached over and ran his fingers through a wet lock of Aya’s hair. “We can’t become so completely detached we lose our humanity. If we do that we’re no better than murderers. Justice is the barrier that keeps us from becoming beasts.” He dropped his hand and stepped over to the sink. “If I ever find out that we are being used as tools for someone else’s revenge again I’ll off the bastard myself.”

Aya watched him, coming back from his distant thoughts when the other touched his hair. “Hn, Revenge. It seems so important until you attain it then you are left feeling more hollow than you were when filled with the need to get back at someone for your pain.”

Aya stood behind Ken running his fingers through his own hair to sort it out and then opened the door to the bathroom, some of the warmth and steam escaping with him. He went to his room and pulled on that favorite pair of faded jeans he typically only wore when never leaving the house. Aya usually dressed a bit classier if he was going out in public. Still it was a good look on him. 

“What are you making me for breakfast?” He asks as he passes by the bathroom again on his way to the kitchen. His eyes fall on the now soggy shirt that had been tossed into the sink of dirty dishes with water in them to soak. 

Aya was more introspective than he realized some times. He was right, filling yourself with revenge never ended well and they had all experienced that at some point in their careers. It was easy to see how Aya could just shut down from time to time. Finding oneself amidst all the blood and pain and tears was never easy. Once revenge is sated you are not left with much else. You really do feel hollow.

Ken watched the other go in the mirror letting those words sink in. He combed his hair and brushed his teeth. After spitting into the sink he answered Aya’s question. “French toast remember?” Ken padded down the hall to his room to get dressed appearing in the kitchen a few moments later wearing baggy black cargo pants and a tight fitting blue V-neck tee-shirt. He stopped when he saw Aya staring into the sink.

Aya turned to him a bit. “Found your shirt.” He says then gingerly pulls it out of the sink and wrings it out. “French toast, right.” He was blushing a little bit. Aya was a bit of an aggressive love maker, which surprised him more than anything. He had not been with someone like that on his terms since he was sixteen. It… felt good. He smiled a little losing himself in his thoughts again. He walked passed Ken and delivered the damp shirt to the clothes hamper around the corner of Ken’s bedroom door, then comes back into the kitchen. 

It was true that Aya’s demeanor had shifted a bit ever since his sister came out of her coma. One would have to be blind not to see it. He mellowed out a lot but there was a listlessness to it, as if he felt he had lost purpose. This morning was the first in a while that Ken had witnessed much of any positive emotion out of the redhead, well much of anything really. Unless people were pushing his buttons it seemed Aya was kind of drifting through life.

Ken grimaced and backed out of the way of the damp shirt. “Yeah, Birman is definitely not gonna be wanting that back.” It was really cute to see Aya blushing so much as it was so much more apparent because of his fair skin. Also, well it meant that Aya was actually feeling something. His reactions were usually so cold to everything unless he was picking a fight or dealing with something concerning the shops business.

The brunette did not even make it to the fridge before he cried out in surprise. “Ouch!” He lifted his foot to find one of Aya’s shirt buttons on the wooden floor. “Crap,” he smiled though, “we’re gonna be looking for these for weeks.” He bent down to pick it up then flicked it towards Aya. “Hey, daydreamer.” Aya seemed to be off in his own little world. After tossing the button Ken rooted in the fridge for the ingredients he’d need; milk, eggs, bread. He piled these things on the counter then grabbed for the frying pan.

Aya’s hand snatched the button out of the air before it hit him; those quick reflexes were now just a solid part of the man. He opened his hand and looked down at the button his palm. “Well someone got a little overzealous with the button up shirt.” He tossed the button into the garbage. 

He started getting the coffee pot rinsed out and filling it with water, getting his coffee going for the morning though as he glanced at the time it was getting pretty late. “Guess we aren’t opening shop at the normal time today.” He comments off hand. Not that he really cared at this point. 

He figured a day to relax and just spend some time with Ken was probably the best move. He was actually kind of interested in this relationship that he had always secretly hoped for but did not let himself admit to. The last thing he wanted was Ken to worry about him pulling away right off the bat. There was usually a good day or two span of time that people could crop up with regrets of some form or another. His own personal regret was only that Ken was a weakness of his now more than ever. 

He watched the brunette fuss around with their breakfast as if seeing him in a new light. He had always cared for Ken but it was going to go way beyond just a co-worker or brother in arms type of feeling real fast. That made a little knot in Aya’s belly.

The brunette assassin glanced at the clock above the table. “Nope.” He cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl. “Hey, you practically ripped mine off of me and then threw it in the sink!” He was only mock upset about the whole thing. Continuing with his cooking the kitchen soon began to smell of coffee and cinnamon. 

In the past it had not been uncommon for them to not open up shop the day after a mission as most of the time they were out all night and the boys needed their sleep the next day plus time to recover from any injuries sustained. The few little errands they had been running for Omi though had not really warranted closing the shop so this was the first time since they had opened up that things were a little different. “I say we don’t bother with it today.” He pulled out some plates and plopped two pieces of French toast onto the white china. “Syrup?”

“Powdered sugar please.” Aya tells him, shifting where he had sat down at the table with almost the excitement of a kid. It was no secret that Aya was really into Ken’s cooking. He did not complain to Ken about the weight he had put on either but he tended to curse to himself a bit about Ken being amazing at making food when his pants were a little tight. 

Though it had not always been that way, when Ken really started getting interested in the culinary world he was not as good at it to begin with. Aya and the others always tried to avoid breakfast with busy work at that time but with some persistence Ken had really gotten good at it. 

“Either way…” he got back to the shirt ordeal. “It was offensive. Shirt had to go.” Aya figured they would get to spend the day being a little lazy, which was fine with him. He would be excusing himself in the evening though. It was about once a week that Aya would just disappear off the radar and that was when he took the long drive to where Aya-Chan was living. He almost felt like a creepy stalker at times but all he was doing was checking up on her… making sure she was doing well… even if he did not actually contact her directly.

“Offensive?” Ken sprinkled some powdered sugar over the toast and then a dash more cinnamon on top. “So what you’re basically saying is that I need to just go around topless from now on?” He set the plate in front of Aya with a flourish then went back to grab his own. The infamous breakfast power smoothie would be taking a break from today’s menu.

Sitting across from Aya he noticed the flash drive that had ended up on the table from the night before. “Oops.” He picked it up and stuffed it in his pants pocket. It really had been irresponsible of him to just leave it out in the open like that. More than just irresponsible even, if something had gone wrong during the mission that little slip up could have caused them lots of trouble. “Suppose we should get this to Omi today.”

Aya nods. “Yeah I gotta… run out later. I’ll drop it off.” He would be calling Birman and meeting up with her as usual when they had to swap information. He digs into his breakfast, very obviously enjoying every minute of it. 

“I guess it was unavoidable last night but we’ll have to make sure we do not repeat a clumsy mistake like that again. It’s as much my fault as it is yours.” He comments between bites. It was a mistake but at least nothing had come of it. “But until I go out this evening, I guess we have the day to do whatever we want.”

Ken’s eyebrows rose at that last comment and his chewing slowed. What exactly did Aya mean by ‘whatever we want?’ He did not bother to think about where Aya might be going later. The redhead usually disappeared at some point during the week for a few hours. Ken had his suspicions that he was checking up on Aya-Chan but he never asked the other man about it.

“Yeah, it was careless.” He pulled the flash drive out and slid it across the table to Aya. “You take it then.”

Aya slides it toward him with two fingers dropping it off the edge of the table into his other hand. He pockets it. The redhead idly wondered how bad off Yohji was for a moment but realized it did not matter. They did not have a mission… but still the man was in a bit of trouble. Part of Aya even wished there was something that he could do but he knew not what that would be. Being supportive was not exactly in his emotional repertoire. 

He cleaned his plate, getting up to rinse it off in the sink and getting a cup of coffee. He walked into their small living area and sat down on the floor pillows leaning back against the wall a bit. He glanced at the TV, turning it on to see if there was anything interesting on the news. It was a morning habit of his, either that or reading the paper.

The brunette took care of his plate as well and pours himself a cup of the morning brew, idly watching the red head. Their very tiny living area, which was essential just about a 6 foot space off the kitchen was furnished sparsely. A small book case had an equally small TV sitting on top and there were a couple of potted plants by the ‘balcony’ window. Several large cushions were piled on the floor and a low table had a couple of magazines on it. In the winter they would pull the Kotatsu out of storage. Ken liked the idea of them sharing the warmth under the table together.

The peaceful morning was interrupted by the sound of a cell ringing. Aya’s phone buzzed on the kitchen table. Grabbing it up Ken glanced at the screen and frowned a bit. “It’s Omi.” He handed the phone to Aya.

Aya was enjoying the quiet for sure but his phone going off caused him to start a bit. He had been off in his own little world again; his thoughts mostly on wondering if he could adjust to sharing his life with another above and beyond just a roommate. 

He reached out and took his phone answering it, talking quietly to Omi. “Yeah… yeah I’ll be getting it to you. I was going to hand it off to Birman soon.” He says standing up and pacing a bit. He tended to pace when on the phone. “Yeah I’ll leave earlier. Yeah I’ll go now…” He says. 

Ken watched as Aya paced the room. Something must of come up for Omi to be calling. Apparently whatever was on that flash drive needed to be analyzed right away. They may be going out on another mission sooner than expected. If that was the case then Ken would have to clear things up with Yohji sooner rather than later. The whole thing kind of put a damper on the scene of domestic bliss that had settled over their lives that morning. 

In the past few months it had been almost easy to forget or at least push the horror of his life to the back of his mind. Though now things seemed to be picking up again and it was quite possible regular missions would resume shortly. Ken wondered about Omi and how the poor kid was managing to handle everything he must be going through. He and Aya had a shear paradise going on here compared to the crap Omi must be going through at the moment.

Aya hangs up, immediately calling Birman to agree to a meeting place while he goes into his room to get his shoes and put on a shirt. He comes back out, slinging a jacket over his shoulder. “I’ll be back later this evening.” He tells Ken watching the other man for a moment. Finally he gives a rare smile and leans in to give the other man a quick kiss. Then turns and trots down the stairs and out the back to his car, pulling away and heading to meet Birman.

The younger man sighs suddenly alone in their apartment. One thing that no one could ever say about Aya was that he did not take his job seriously. When it came down to it he dropped everything for the cause. The little kiss had been nice though and unexpected. That icy exterior of Aya’s seemed to be melting off quite quickly. 

Sighing Ken looked around noticing the TV was still on. He walked over to turn it off but stopped short seeing a breaking story on the news. Ten dead at a shopping arcade in Ginza. A woman in her mid-thirties had apparently busted into the back room in the store where she worked and started attacking her coworkers with a crowbar. Police arrived and had to use excessive force to put her down similar to the man in the park from the paper the other day. A large crowd had gathered behind the police barricade outside the entrance to the store.

Ken inhaled sharply as he scanned the crowd. For just a moment the camera passed over the faces of frightened people but one was standing in the background smiling. His long flaming orange hair tied back in a low ponytail, dark grey suit immaculate. No...It couldn’t be. Schuldig…


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a rather long chapter. I just couldn't figure out how to split it into 2 and be pleased with it. Time for a little Schwartz action.

Schuldig eyed the chaotic scene before him with a satisfied smile on his face. The fear and confusion emanating off the people around him was delicious. But it was merely an appetizer, for the German had quite the ‘too do list’ today. Turning and walking away from the murderous scene he found his car a few blocks away. A silvery BMW waited patiently in the garage. Sure the car was flashy but it suited the German just fine to be driving such a splendid car from his own country. He pulled out into traffic with a squeal of tires smirking at the onlookers as he zoomed by them.

He had three more stops to make today, the next across town near Shinjuku station. Reaching a long fingered hand over to the passenger seat he felt the small metal box containing the remaining three vials of elixir and smiled wickedly. Test results were going as planned and they only needed to collect a few more data samples before the next phase went into action. The screen on Shuldig's phone flashed indicating a call from Crawford.

The American was fastidious about punctuality and wanted updates most likely. He was watching the TV, seeing the news about the current event. When the German answered Crawford eyed Farfarello who was leaning against the wall in the room with him. The Irishman watched him intently. Who knew what was going through that crazy man’s mind, it was typically very hard to tell.

“I want an update.” Crawford said as the phone picks up, his cool voice coming over professional as always. “I do hope you do not have any side trips in mind.” He adds.

Schuldig punched a button on the dash and it connected to his phone. The German licked his lips then rolled his eyes. Crawford always seemed to have a stick up his ass; never knew how to enjoy things.“You take all the fun out of everything, you know that?” In truth he had not planned on making any detours but now he might simply because Crawford had asked. It was one of his simple pleasures; making Crawford slightly pissed at him. Schuldig never pushed it too far but over the years he had gotten quite good at finding the American’s limit to patience. “Everything’s fine.” His voice was deep and smooth, his English slightly accented. “I’m on my way to the next drop off point. You should be able to follow the chaos fairly well on television. You know how the media is just eating this up.”

“How’s Farfarello holding up?” He turned a corner sharply halfway to his destination. “Any changes?”

“He’s quiet, probably thinking about killing God as usual.” Crawford says giving a bit of an exasperated sigh. “He’s bored.” That much was obvious. “He tried to carve himself up again; you know he always does that when he’s bored.”

He raps his fingers on his mahogany desk a few times. “I’m watching the TV. Seems we are getting good results. They haven’t figured out that killing the infected makes them stronger. It’s keeping things interesting. Besides, we are not here to have fun but I suppose I can’t stop you if you come up with something to entertain yourself with. You always do it when I tell you not to. I’m on to you.” He scoffs.

Schuldig gave the other man a deep little chuckle. “Oh Bradley, you know me so well.” He only used the other man’s first name to irk him. Maybe he would stop by a little cafe or something and pick Farfarello up a playmate. Not only would it give the Irishman something to do it would irritate Crawford because he would ultimately be the one to have to deal with the mess in some fashion.

Farfarello had not fared well in the tower incident. It had taken the others almost a week to find him, coming across his unconscious body by chance washed up in between some rocks on the shore line. For nearly a month he had slipped in and out of wakefulness oftentimes becoming increasingly violent with his outbursts only to slip back in the dark depths of his mind once again. The man was crazy as hell to begin with and the others had been watching him closely since then in case drastic measures needed to be taken.

“They’re all a bunch of idiots. Just pathetic lab rats.” Schuldig pulled into the valet parking at a restaurant. “Gotta go, time to meet my next date.”

“I’ll be waiting for your report.” Crawford said hanging up. The American had been watching Farfarello like a hawk since the man had woken up. He was quite unpredictable… though it seemed he had gotten quite the fancy for that Ken Hidaka fellow. The brunette assassin’s name had come up several times from the Irishman but Crawford was not sure where any of the Weiß had gone by now. They had lain so low they went off radar but there was a registered download of information from that hospital they were working out of. Crawford was about 90% sure that was probably Weiß making another appearance. ‘Pests.’

Schuldig handed the keys off to the young valet and waltzed into the restaurant. Schwartz had of course been keeping tabs on each of the individuals vaccinated by Dr. Inumura and it had been the German’s job to make contact and administer the elixir that would ultimately facilitate their metamorphosis into deranged super humans.

At this particular place he was to be meeting another young woman who had received what she thought were standard overseas travel vaccinations. Schuldig had found his ‘in’ when she mentioned that she would be traveling to Germany soon. He had turned up the charm and soon she had agreed to a lunch date with him.

“Greetings Fraulein.” He walked up to her table and took her hand placing a gentlemanly kiss to the tender flesh there. ‘Hmmm, she was so excited he could sense her pulse quicken at his touch.’

She smiles. “Greetings, such a formal word. You seem like such a gentleman.” She laughs a little. If only she knew… “I’m glad you could meet with me. I’d love to know all about Germany from someone who’s lived there.” She blushes a little embarrassed. “Sorry, but it’s true.” She had been so excited to go to Germany, and had saved up a long time for it. Fresh out of University the girl felt like she was ready to explore the world.

“I’m glad you met me here. This is one of my favorite places to eat. The desserts are to die for!” She was making small talk, a bit bashful around this dashing gentleman. Her eyes kept flitting up to his face then back down to her hands.

Slipping back into Japanese easily he moved the conversation along. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s a good thing to want to know about the wide world around you.” Schuldig was multilingual, his first language being German naturally, followed by Japanese and English. When he had first met Crawford his English had not been so great but he had picked up quite a bit from the man over the years they had worked together. Now he could speak the language fairly fluently. 

“The German countryside is beautiful. I’m sure you’ll love it.” He caught the arm of a waiter passing by and ordered a rather expensive bottle of champagne. By this point Schuldig was blowing through money like water, it was not like it was his anyway. Their current employers had set them up with a rather impressive expense account. 

“We should toast to your trip.” He flashed a sparkling white smile at the girl enjoying the feel of her giddiness. It was true that the German preferred more intense emotions but he did favor lighter fare from time to time. This girl and her innocent optimism whetted his appetite. Crawford had chastised Schuldig some about the luxuries that the German partook in but all in all he knew the man would get his work done no matter how many frivolous things it took to get him there.

She gasps! “Oh my! That is expensive, are you sure?” She asked a small bit of nervous laughter in her voice. The girl twirled a brown lock of hair about her finger.

“Perhaps,” he shrugged, “but a beauty such as you deserves only the best.” ‘Like I’d ever drink anything but the finest.’ Schuldig thought to himself. He had spent too many years on the streets as a kid not to splurge at every opportunity he got, especially if he was not the one paying for it. You only live once.

The waiter soon brought their bottle the green of its glass glinting like emerald in the ice bucket. He popped the cork and set about pouring two glasses for the couple. Schuldig eyed the girl as she watched in rapt anticipation. It was probably going to be the only time in her life she would get to experience such a fine beverage. In fact...it would be the only time. 

At least Schuldig could give her that. The lab rats always behaved better when offered good cheese. The waiter excused himself leaving the bottle at the table. “To a wonderful trip!” He held his glass high and clinked it against hers. They both tasted the sparkling golden liquid. It was smooth going down the throat.

After they had chatted for a bit and she finished her first glass the girl excused herself to the powder room, no doubt freshening up for her date. It was the perfect opportunity and Schuldig did not hesitate. He deftly fished the vile of elixir from his breast pocket, grabbed the bottle to refill her glass and tipped the liquid in. He was just topping it off as she came back.

She sat down again. “Sorry I took so long.” She smiled apologetically taking her glass and drinking. “I’d say you've got expensive tastes but I don’t want you to think I’m complaining. This is wonderful champagne.” She says. “I've had a very good time today with you.” The elixir was going to work in her body, it took a little bit for her to start feeling odd and she tried to brush it off.

Light blue eyes watched as the girl worked at her second glass, he was still sipping on his first. The change in her was subtle but Schuldig recognized the signs. A small bead of sweat sprung up on her brow and her face was flushed from just more than the alcohol. Her eyes seemed to dart around nervously like a birds.

“I’m glad you like it Fraulein. Please excuse me for a moment. I’ll return shortly and we can continue our conversation.” He pushed himself back from the table and stood, the fine silken fabric of his suit glistening in the light. Schuldig really did look the part of playboy millionaire. It was easy to see how the girl could be swayed by him even without the use of his telepathic powers.

She watched as he headed toward one of the staff members, he was whispering something in the other man’s ear. She thought he was possibly taking care of the check not wanting her to see the exorbitant amount he had spent on the bottle. In the few moments she looked away Schuldig had slipped out the door, called the valet and drove off in his car. As much as he wanted to stay and watch the entertainment he was on a time schedule. The fact that he had basically ditched his ‘date’ did not trouble him in the slightest.

It certainly did not take much longer after that for her to start reacting. Schuldig having just up and left started to stir insecurity that he had ditched her, which only quickened the effects. Soon as her adrenaline spiked she just snapped and started attacking the staff going completely out of control. Little fragile Fraulein had become a powerhouse of destruction. Though the full strength did not come around until she was shot down by the police, that little bit of her mind trying to stop her was gone once she was dead and she got back up and just kept going. It was all over the news within the hour and the whole city was starting to bustle with nervous energy as this was the second incident in a single day. 

“Two down, two to go.” Schuldig spoke softly as he sped to his next location. By evening most of the city would be in panicked chaos and they would have all the data their employers had paid them so well for. Apparently if everything went the way it was supposed to those in charge would be able to move on to the next step of the process. A lot was riding on the German today but he did not mind the pressure. In fact the whole ordeal was giving him a rather nice power trip. With each consecutive stop the chaos spread like wildfire. He was almost drunk on the waves of desperate confusion emanating from the city by the time he got back to Schwartz’s hide out.

Crawford was waiting for him still at his computer desk. A large TV glowed in one corner, a flashing news headline scrolling along the top of the screen. Farfarello was standing at the picture window staring out of it. The American looked up as Schuldig returned turning in his swivel chair to face him. Farfarello turned as well, staring at him with his one gold eye. He seemed tense, ready to strike but alas there were no mice for the cat to give chase to right now. 

“Things are looking up.” Crawford said, watching the German, “I see you didn’t take any detours. That might be a first.’ He shrugs a shoulder a little. “Seems we’ve proved enough to our employers, they are happy with what you did today.”

Schuldig smiled and tipped his finger towards Crawford. “You know I’m always good for it.” He was definitely enjoying the feeling coursing through his body. Unfortunately he had been unable to make a stop for Farfarello, maybe he would take him out later. He had gotten caught up in a traffic jam due to police and ambulance arriving at the last scene. Sitting in his car waiting for the traffic in front of him to start moving again he drank in the surrounding atmosphere.

He almost felt like he needed a good drink and a good fuck to finish off the night, perhaps some mind games for dessert? Undecided about the rest of his evening he walked over to Farfarello and put an arm around the man’s shoulder. Despite the Irishman’s psychoses he and Schuldig had formed a bond over the years that they did not share with the other members of Schwartz. It was the closest thing to friendship either of them had. Farfarello could always count on Schuldig to feed his strange desires and the redhead never judged him for it. It was the same way for Schuldig too; Farfarello never asked questions but simply accepted the other man’s unique taste in entertainment. The two had spent many nights in the past going after prey together. They made for a unique hunting party.

Farfarello’s head turned a little, eyeing Schuldig. “Seems you had a good day.” He finally says his voice low, a bit jealous sounding even. “I’m sure it was a wonderful display for you to witness.” The white haired man said talking of the chaos now spreading through the city. He was tense for sure, even in the company of the only real friend he had. He had been cooped up for quite a while now since he had become lucid again after the tower incident. 

Crawford leaned back into his chair again. “Do whatever you want for the night. I have a lot to take care of on my end. Just don’t let Farfarello get out of your sight." He tells Schuldig. 

Farfarello scoffs… “If only Weiß…” He did not finish the sentence but his tone was oddly wistful. He had been really hung up on them.

Schuldig sighed and turned his head back to Crawford. “Fine, fine...I promise I’ll keep him on a leash.” Turning back to the other man he led him out of Crawford’s office, down the hall and into a plush living room. Their benefactors had set them up in a high end penthouse overlooking Tokyo Bay. 

He knew the other man was getting antsy; it was pretty evident by the amount of new bandages crisscrossing the man’s arms and chest. It bothered him a bit that the other was so hung up on the Weiß group only because once the Irishman was fixated on something it was incredibly hard to satiate him with anything else.

“Would you like to go out tonight Farfarello?” He aimed him towards the window so he could see the vast city spread beneath his feet. “I’m sure there will be some delectable morsels a midst all this chaos.” It was important to him that Farfarello regain some of his grip on reality. The man was completely bat shit but still needed to know what was and was not going on around him. If he retreated into his mind they might lose their best physical fighter forever. 

Farfarello’s gold eye gazed out to the city. So many people… so much insanity. He grinned a widely; satisfied with the idea. One could only hope he found something good enough to meet his standards. It used to be easier to find that for the Irishman but not so much as of late. 

“Yes… yes….” He says licking his lips. “Let’s go out.” He turns to face Schuldig, clapping a hand on the German’s shoulder. “Take me out. Let’s go see it all.” It seemed the prospect of getting out was exciting Farfarello. He had been cooped up for so long… he could hardly stand himself anymore! His own thoughts boiling around in his mind were almost too much to handle.

The German nodded to the other man pleased with his responsiveness. “Can you get yourself ready? Wear something…,” he tilted his head, “with plenty of straps.” He smiled knowingly at the Irishman. ‘Straps’ meant that they were going to a club...a very specific type of club and to complete the elaborate lie Farfarello had to pose as a pet. They had done this little scheme a few times in the past, especially when the white haired man had needed to let off some steam. It was an easy hunting ground with plenty of prey. Schuldig’s little mind tricks never hurt either.

Farfarello grinned, he knew it and turned and walked right off to the room that he called his own. He dug through his sparse belongings and got out the clothes he always wore; pants with straps, a vest with straps, and then some gloves with straps. He pulled on a collar to boot. The white haired man worked frantically putting it all on, getting annoyed with the bandages that were in his way but the wounds were too fresh to warrant taking them off. He came back out, grinning wickedly at Schuldig. “I’m ready.”

The smirk on Schuldig’s face was priceless. It was a strange mixture of part pride and part fiendish delight. “You look amazing Farf.” He meant every word of it. The black leather straps against such ghost white skin made it almost impossible to look away. The pink lines of the man’s scars also made a nice contrast. Though the German harbored no sexual feelings towards the Irishman he knew a pretty sight when he saw one. He also saw nothing wrong with enjoying that sight as well. Even in all his insanity Farfarello had a certain way of exuding a raw sexuality that most people found exotic.

“Give me a minute.” Schuldig retreated to his own room and opened a large walk in closet. The racks were lined with a handful of expensive suits. Various shoes peeked out of the shoe cupboard beneath. Where they were going though, a suit was not quite appropriate. If he was going to play the Dom then he needed to look the part. He decided to go with tight fitting white leather pants and a fishnet long sleeved top. The silver balls on his nipples peaked through the holes invitingly. He completed the look with tall silver strappy boots and a leather jacket. A quick run through of his private bathroom and he spritzed himself with Versace cologne and pulled the tie out of his hair. It hung down his back in lush, shiny waves. He always liked to wear it long but it was starting to reach down almost to his ass now. Returning to his room he stuffed his wallet and keys from the suit he had been wearing into the pocket of his new outfit. 

“Time to hit the town.” He remarked to Farfarello as he guided the other man to the penthouses private elevator. On passing Crawford’s office the German could not help but to call out, “Don’t wait up for us!”

Crawford knew what they were up to of course and just rolled his eyes a bit, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose a little. “Don’t worry. I won’t.” He comments dryly. “Just try to avoid attracting too much attention.”

Farfarello grins at him, licking his lips. “Lucky we are friends.” He says through a hiss in his teeth. He followed Schuldig like a puppy, excited to get out and about. The Irishman stood in the elevator with Schuldig rocking back and forth on his heels a bit, grinning maniacally. He could hardly contain himself by this point, though sad to say he might get bored easily what with his current fixation on Weiß. Especially Ken. He thought of Ken often, thought of all the scars he could make on that nice tanned body. Farfarello’s eye widened a bit at the thought. It was hard to push out of his mind and really was the only constant thought he had in the typical chaos that went on upstairs.

Schuldig observed the other man as they rode down the elevator. The crazy Irishman’s preoccupation with Weiß was disturbing. He had assumed none had made it out of the tower alive especially after the beating they had received from the Schwartz team. Schuldig regretted a little bit the loss of a certain Aya Fujimiya. That man had been so messed up in the head it was like a candy store. However, there was no deep longing in his heart for the other. There were plenty of others out there to torture and feed off of their misery. Farfarello on the other hand seemed to be having a little more trouble letting go. The German wondered if it would be wise to bring it up with him.

Farfarello stepped out of the elevator as it came to a halt, walking with Schuldig to that fancy car of his. The silver haired lunatic was either too crazy to realize that Weiß was dead, or would be too disappointed that they had been so weak to die and did not want to realize that. He was after all capable of denial just like anyone else.

It was of course typically impossible for even a mind reader like Schuldig to make sense of the Irishman’s mind. It was certainly the embodiment of chaos. Maybe Farfarello was bored of torturing the weak. Weiß were fighters, fighters with passions that drove them; so tantalizing. 

Schuldig for sure stayed out of Farfarello’s head as much as possible. Even it was too much for him to take. Once a few years back he had made a mistake and blundered in there, what he saw had left scars on his psyche he never wanted to talk about. Schuldig was fucked up, down right cruel at times but Farfarello was really in a class of crazy all by himself. The defiled religious imagery alone was enough to gag him.

Schuldig pressed the key fob and the doors to his car beeped in response. Settling into the driver’s seat he looked over to the other man then ran his hand through that mop of silvery white hair. “Let’s find you something good to eat tonight.” He really wanted Farfarello to burn off some of his pent up energy. They might have to hit up several places in order to fill a portion of the white haired man’s needs. He quickly started the engine, Franck’s Symphony in D minor filtering slowly out of the stereo system. 

Farfarello stared out the window as they drove watching the people on the sidewalks and in the other cars. It was almost like he was hunting before they even got to the club. He really could not control himself; he was always reading and watching for potentials. Especially anyone that seemed even remotely religious, the wages of their sins were often the most tempting. He fidgeted with the straps on his pants impatiently, Schuldig’s taste in music did not bother him but it was not exactly the first thing he would have chosen. Not that Farfarello was a particular connoisseur of music anyhow.

The German could sense the other man’s impatience. Maybe they had kept him cooped up for too long? The thing was that once Schwartz had gotten themselves straightened out they needed to be highly organized to stay on top of things. They could not have Farfarello just running amok in the city. Now that things were coming together though and their lives had stabilized again Crawford had deemed he could go out with Schuldig’s assistance.

Another half an hour passed before they pulled into the underground parking garage attached to the building the club was in. Club M was rather well known amongst members of the local BDSM scene and attracted a fairly wealthy clientele. The rules were clear, you did not go to the club for sex but just about anything else was fair game and the multistory building had special sections for just about every kink imaginable. Because it did not directly deal in the sex trade it had managed to stay out of the grasp of the Yakuza. The owner was apparently a hard woman to crack and had resisted attempted takeovers in the past. The club did after all bring in an exorbitant amount of money.

There we two entrances from the garage, none from the street. The club prided itself on giving its clients the most anonymity possible. What happened behind those doors stayed there. The regular entrance was a set of black doors, a large red M painted on the front and a rather beefy looking bouncer stood behind a velvet rope controlling the influx of patrons. 

Schuldig chose a side entrance partially concealed by a custom designed wall of very fragrant, red climbing roses. A special skylight had been constructed up through the parking garage to give the blooms adequate light. The man at this door recognized him almost immediately. It had been over a year since the German had been to this particular establishment but he was on the ‘special’ guest list that this particular man was well familiar with it. 

He clipped a lead to Farfarello’s collar and led him inside. Velvet blackness washed over the two of them, the pleasant beat of music heavily laden with bass pumped through the walls and floor sending vibrations through the two men. Before they fully emerged into the club Schuldig turned to Farfarello. “Let me lead,” his blue eyes searched the other’s striking golden one, “and I promise you will be satisfied.”

Farfarello followed the other man in, seeming perfectly obedient in that regard. Sometimes Farfarello struggled being the good pet for their charades in the club, but he had not completely failed yet. Most of the time is was not anything that Schuldig could not smooth over, fast talker that he could be. Once inside he turned to the German. Finally he nodded, slumping his shoulders a bit and taking on a more submissive posture. For a crazy man he was very good at playing pretend when he needed to. He finally dropped eye contact as the very last act, looking to the crowd of club goers.

When they walked into the club proper they were immediately greeted by a hostess. She was dressed in a skin tight black rubber dress, her heels precariously high bringing her almost to eye level with Schuldig. “Your booth Sir.” In the space of a few moments the guard out front had conveyed their coming entrance and their needs had been rushed to be taken care of. ‘It was good to be back in town.’ The German thought as they followed the woman to the ‘usual spot.’ 

The booth was tall sided for privacy as well as having a curtain you could close if you wished to block your view of the main floor. The cushions were plush raspberry velvet and a dark lacquered table completed their little corner of the universe. Schuldig gave Farfarello’s leash a little yank indicating that he should slide himself in first. 

“Is there anything that you require, sir?” The woman asked obviously not talking about beverages. Most of the big spenders kept a stock of their own ‘toys’ on premise for nights such as this. She was essentially asking for his lock box number.

His blue eyes sparkled but he gave her a small shake of his head. “No, nothing as of yet. You could send him around though.” He tilted his head in the direction of a server; the man was well muscled and wore tight leather shorts, boots and not much else. He had a certain look about him Schuldig thought Farfarello might like although he could not have quite told you why. Schuldig himself neither preferred men over women or vise a versa but the men tended to hold out a little longer when Farfarello got his hands on them.

Farfarello’s gaze followed Schuldig’s gesture. That was a strong looking fellow; his head tilted a bit to watch the server with interest. He turned his head again and glanced at Schuldig. He would wait and fidget till he got a closer look. His glance flits away as he gazed out at the club, his eyes looking over all that he could see. He was tense but not in a nervous kind of way. It was almost like he was ready to pounce. He was trying really hard for Schuldig’s sake not to get wild and crazy, the German was doing him a favor after all.

“As you wish.” The hostess wandered over to the server and whispered something to him. He looked towards their table and flashed both men a smile, it was very white and neat.

Schuldig draped a lazy arm over Farfarello’s shoulder pulling the man to his side. “Do you like him Farf?” He whispered into the Irishman’s ear tugging at the collar a bit. “I can feel you all wound up.” Truth was the German was getting a little bit of a buzz from Farfarello’s anticipation. Their symbiotic friendship providing them both things they would not normally be able to get in a regular relationship. 

Farfarello pointed past the server to a more depressed looking individual sitting at the bar. He was smaller built than the server but his anguish seemed to speak more to the silver haired man. You could just see it rolling off him, his body language, the way he avoided eye contact. He was dressed up to fit into the club but he must have been having a rough day or patch in his life. “Drinks from the server though… a closer look couldn't hurt.” He murmurs but his eye was on the more miserable looking fellow still. 

“Hmmm, let’s see if we can’t do something for his attitude.” By that point the server had walked over and pulled an order pad from his back pocket. The man was quite handsome, well built, probably an athlete or trainer for a day job. He was oiled down and his muscles glinted in the low lights of the club.

“See anything you like?” His voice was husky. Part of the server’s job besides handling drinks was to act as a liaison between clients. It kept things running smoothly and avoided time wasted trying to figure out clients preferences. The bottom most floor was where the bar and dance floor were and was often times where people would meet up before heading upstairs for ‘other’ activities.

Schuldig nodded to the rather downtrodden looking man feeling that little bit of pressure as he pushed himself into the other’s mind. ‘Quarrel with a lover, submissive, heartbroken, was having second guesses about his lifestyle choices. Maybe his mother was right? Maybe he should start going to church with her again?’ There it was...Farfarello had some magical ability to pinpoint religious pain. 

The German’s skin prickled with delight. “Send him a nice sec Champagne and then bring me the rest of the bottle.” The dry beverage was meant as an aperitif to whet the other’s appetite. It was subtly suggestive on Schuldig’s part but even if the young man did not pick up on it, it would still most likely bring him around. The redhead could be one classy fucker when he wanted to be.

Farfarello’s eye gleamed, staring at the man sulking across the room. The Irishman had spotted a cross, plucked it out of every other detail when his target interest had turned a bit on his stool. Around his neck, a gold cross hung… he could not help himself really. He lifted a glance to the server, raking a gaze up and down him for a moment. “I’d wink at you too, but I only have one eye.” He finally states flatly at the server. At least Farfarello could still recognize an attractive body when it was nearby no matter how focused he was on other things, even if he was insanely socially awkward. 

Schuldig tried to not snicker at Farfarello’s comment. Sometimes the words that came out of that man’s mouth were priceless. He was so frank and dead pan with the way he spoke about things at times. Waving the server off, he turned again almost nuzzling Farfarello’s ear.

“You want him? He’s yours.” When it came down to it Schuldig would do just about anything for Farfarello. They understood each other in ways the others did not. He probably would not partake when the Irishman started in on the other but watching the man work could be quite thrilling. Schuldig would drink in the other’s pain as Farfarello released his pent up aggression on the man’s physical body. Schuldig felt his pants grow a bit tighter with his excitement.

A few moments later they watched as the server deposited the flute of golden liquid in front of the morose man then casually directed his gaze to the two men sitting in the booth. The man’s large brown eyes widened for a moment seeing them. They obviously were not Japanese and he felt a tight coil in his belly staring from one to the other.

The server brought over the rest of the bottle and filled a glass for Schuldig. He offered nothing to Farfarello recognizing that as the other man’s pet he was not allowed unless his master said so. Schuldig had uttered no such words. Beside Farfarello would not touch it anyhow.

Farfarello did not drink at all. It was hard enough for him to keep himself contained as it was and he really showed no interest in it. In his twisted mind he felt he needed to be strung tight at all times. His golden eye stared at the down man across the way watching his body language, his every move. 

“Mine.” He states simply, as if the words branded a claim on the unsuspecting individual. The silver haired man clenched his teeth a little. He did not partake in sexual activities either, it seemed just putting down ones faith and causing pain and anguish were all that he needed for the release of his own tensions. He glanced at Schuldig’s glass for a moment, then back to his prey. Schuldig’s habit of partaking in the finer things in life amused Farfarello immensely. 

Schuldig holds up the bottle and beckons the young man with a finger. “Yes, he will be yours. I’ll make sure of it.” The redhead could also have fun breaking the man’s spirit down a little more as well. He wanted him nice and pliable before he really got to work on him.

Dark hair fell in the man’s eyes as he blushed slightly. The two men sitting across the way were both handsome in their own way but the Dom was certainly something to look at. He rose, trying to give himself a grace that just was not quite there. ‘Screw Yukihara anyway!’ He walked up to their table and smiled then sipped the dry champagne he had been given.

Farfarello looked up at him, his mind already working at what he wanted to do to that body. He did not say anything though, barely containing his role as a pet. His eye settled on that cross around his neck again. What an ugly thing, pouty lips turned down in a frown. He let Schuldig do the talking. He was in fact the pro in twisting people around his finger. The German could manipulate even the hardest of men. Farfarello respected that in him, it was a talent he sorely lacked himself. He knew Schuldig would toy with that delicious mind that was what the German got out of the deal before he handed over the prey to him. Schuldig took good care of him… 

 

“Care for a seat?” Schuldig gestured to the plush cushion next to him all but ignoring Farfarello at this point. It was a tactic he used to assert his dominance, the fact that he already had one ‘pet’ that could be ignored and not act up gave him an air of power. If the man in front of him was submissive enough he would fall to Schuldig easily.

The man winked at the redhead and sat down next to him ‘accidentally’ brushing Schuldig’s thigh with his own. He swallowed a bit of his drink. “Don’t mind if I do.” A certain desperate hopefulness emanated from him as he flicked his eyes up to the German’s icy blue ones. He peered around to give Farfarello a long look then back to Schuldig. “Are you looking for a pair?” 

Farfarello was watching his every move very intent on the stranger. He was reading him, watching that cross around his neck. The Irishman still did not say anything, knowing not to speak out of turn. The whole thing did not seem to bother Farfarello though; Schuldig did not ever do anything to deny him what he wanted. Really it was the best thing that the German could do to keep Farfarello under any semblance of control. At least as much control as one could have over the madman. He would make the prey denounce god and Schuldig would already likely have the man on his knees begging for an end by the time the German got done raping his psyche. 

Schuldig slipped a finger under the other man’s chin bringing his face up so he could not look away. “Perhaps...If I find you interesting enough.” He leaned in close seeming to breathe in deeply of the other man’s scent. In reality he was savoring the emotions drifting off the other man. There was just so much desperate hope.

He dropped his hand then turned and pulled Farfarello around a bit by his collar. “You see, he will do anything I ask.” He traced a hand up the length of Farfarello’s bandaged arm. “I have unique tastes and well you see unless you can offer me more of the same I’m afraid I’ve wasted a perfectly good bottle of Champagne on you.” Schuldig liked making them feel small and insecure. It made them all the more eager to please him. “What do you think?” He pulled Farfarello closer, the leather of the collar biting into his skin. “Do you think he has what it takes?”

Farfarello hissed but it was through a teeth bared smile. “I think so…” He says his voice deadpan as usual. “We can treat him well…. but maybe his … faith won't allow it.” He grins wider. “You know best… master.” He says, reaching up like he would touch Schuldig’s face affectionately but not making actual skin to skin contact, leaving a small space between fingers and cheek as he brought his hand towards the Germans face.

The young man swallowed hard. After his recent rejection he was feeling a little like he needed to be punished. It was after all his fault that Yukihara had left him high and dry. The man had said he was not accommodating enough and that he did not truly want to experience the darker sides of lust. In truth he had been a little afraid. Now though he thought perhaps he should not care. What were a few scars? It would definitely earn him some respect in certain circles that was for sure.

He reaches for the small gold crucifix at his throat. “This?” He pulls it out a bit from his neck, “this is just a trinket.” Inside he knew he was lying but he wanted so desperately to be needed by that point he would do just about anything. “I would behave well for you.” He slid his hand from Schuldig’s knee to his inner thigh.

Farfarello grinned maniacally; he loved the sound of that. Denying one's faith for personal needs, desires… he knew that is what the man had just done and he loved it. “Careful how you touch the master.” Farfarello’s grin faded away for a moment. It was a warning that was for certain. Schuldig had not expressed a desire to be touched at all, which is why Farfarello was not initiating touch of any kind. He played his part very well. 

“Schuldig…” Farfarello’s gaze flitted up to the Germans face. He leans in close to his ear. “He will do… better than anyone here I’ve seen.” He tells him quietly. Part of him just wanted to get to the ‘fun’ part though and the Irishman was getting impatient.

Schuldig grabbed the man by the wrist and quickly jerked it upwards, pulling him forward so he was mere inches from his face. “My pet here is right. I didn’t say I wanted to be touched. You’ll have to learn quickly.” He brought the man’s wrist up to his lips and nipped at the tender skin there. “Else I’ll have to punish you.” His tone held just the slightest edge of playfulness to ease the man along.

“We could stay here of course.” He let go of the man’s wrists. “However if you want the full effects of my ministrations we will have to retire somewhere else.” Schuldig lowered his eyes downward suggestively. He could feel his length straining tight against the leather. It was just so easy. The man was practically begging him for it in his mind already. Schuldig could not resist pushing a bit into that mind to plant a thought. ‘Oh yes, I will make sure to punish you well.’

Farfarello was starting to wind up again, getting tense. He could almost feel the hairs standing up on the back of his neck and down his spine. He watched the man’s face intently, just looking at him he could tell Schuldig was losing his patience a little as well; planting thoughts already. Excellent! 

“A...alright.” The man lowers his eyes submissively. ‘Geez, this guy isn’t kidding around.’ He thought, his heart thumping against his rib cage. “Do you have somewhere in mind...master?” The word did not come easy, even Yukihara had not made him say that word. The young man trembled when it passed his lips.

“Of course.” The German favored him a smile for using the term so close after their meeting. “My car is outside.” He pushed the man forward out of the booth and stood up dragging Farfarello along with him. When he was fully standing he reached to grab the younger man by the back of the neck, dominance radiating from him in waves. “Let’s go.” He began to lead his two ‘prizes’ outside. 

He did not need to worry about clearing his tab as the club had a card on file for him registered under a false name. When he was in Tokyo the German often dumped bucket loads of cash into the club and he was a well-respected patron. Schuldig did have interesting hobbies which he indulged in frequently when not running errands for Crawford. Being a member of Schwartz was not his defining attribute. 

Before long they were at Schuldig’s car and the brown haired man’s mouth fell open. It was quite possibly the most expensive car he had ever seen let alone gotten a ride in. “Back seat.” Schuldig commanded to Farfarello. He liked the idea of Farf staring hungrily at the back of this guy’s head as he sat helpless in front of him.

Farfarello slid into the back seat, leaning back with a half cocked grin on his face. The poor man was so nervous but excited at the same time. He could pretty much taste his insecurity. He certainly was no Ken Hidaka but he would have to do. No one could fill that void and no one would put up as big of a fight as Ken would, so more submissive prey would certainly do for now.

He glanced at Schuldig as the German began to drive, what a hero. He reminded himself a lot of how well the German handled him, really no one else wanted to go out of their way for it. Still he appreciated Schuldig’s efforts all the same. He knew Schwartz wanted to keep a handle on their best fighter, feeling no pain meant that even with injury he would not slow down. 

Schuldig knew that Farfarello was grateful in his own way for what he did for him. But it was not like he wasn’t getting anything out of the deal either. Come tomorrow his thirst for intense emotion would be pretty satisfied thanks to the other man. Once he’d had his fill of that he could focus on the more physical aspects of his needs before handing him off to Farfarello.

They sped off into the night racing towards the edge of the city. The German could feel the young man’s anxiety building the longer they were in the car. He drove around and extra 10 minutes just to get the guy super worked up.

They stopped in front of an abandoned hotel. “Get out.” He ordered. “Farfarello find our little prince a nice place to rest.” He was going to take care of the car real quick and did not want to have to struggle with the guy any farther than necessary. Also, he was showing a bit of trust in Farfarello...giving him his first taste of unsupervised time in months. It did not matter that it would only be for a few minutes.

Farfarello got out of the car, beckoning to their guest then led him through the front door. He turned down the first hallway and paced up and down the row of rooms before finding one to his liking. The door was even unlocked; he would not have to force entry. He turned the knob and went inside, looking around at the state of the place. It really was not in that bad of shape yet, and honestly he remembered them having come here before. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew Schuldig liked this place.

“C’mon.” He jerked his head to the other in a gesture to come into the room. Once the man stepped into the room Farfarello grabbed him by the throat; striking with deadly grace. He pushed him into the nearest wall and gazed into his eyes. “Why do you lose faith?” He asks his face contorting into a bit of a sneer when he said the word faith. 

The young man blinked at him in confusion. This was not what he had been planning for. Did the Dom just plan to leave him with this other man? Was that part of the game? He squirmed beneath the grip of the Irishman. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?” He knew he should have bolted the minute they had driven up to the old hotel. 

“God has abandoned you.” He says grinning, releasing his hold. He was standing between the man and the door now. “He’ll be back… He is a better master than I could ever be.” Farfarello tugged a bit at the collar around his neck. “What do you desire?” His voice dripped like venom, harsher sounding now.

The man would not see the light of day again. Both men getting what they each personally needed at his expense. Farfarello would be satiated only for a short time though but it was better than nothing. He would probably be spending the next day in his strait jacket. The man tended to get a little amped up after nights like these and could not be trusted by himself. Crawford had had enough of him bleeding all over the carpet.


	8. Chapter 8

Aya had been gone most of the day and far into the evening, having come home in the wee hours of the morning trying to be quiet in case Ken was sleeping. He was unsure if the brunette would be still awake and waiting up for him. If he was he would feel a little bad about having not checked in but Ken knew this was not incredibly odd behavior for Aya either. Over the months it had just come to be an expected thing.

He made to set his keys down; Aya-Chan had been out when he went to see her. Seeing her smile was important to him even if she did not know he was there watching. More than anything he wanted her to be happy. After that Aya had spent a good portion of the day driving around and thinking about things, even making a stop by his parent’s memorial.

“Aya…” The light upstairs flickered on, casting a yellow glow down into the shop. Ken’s voice sounded off; just slightly shaky. You see Aya had this habit of turning off his phone when he went to see his sister. If he had gotten the chance to turn it on he would have found an alarming amount of messages from the brunette.

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all day.” It was not an accusation, but there was a definite underlying panic to his tone. He sat down on the top step dropping his head into his hands. The scars on the back of his scalp itched and burned and he ran his fingers over them as if trying to calm the irritated flesh.

Aya frowned, pocketing his keys and taking the steps two at a time until he got to Ken. Kneeling down in front of him, he laid his hands gently on the brunette’s shoulders. “Ken… Ken what’s wrong?” He asks. “Sorry I turned off my phone… I was… visiting my family’s memorial.” He tells him, voice edged with a touch of concern. “Did something happen?” Aya was certainly confused; Ken had been fine when he left this morning. What could have happened? Yohji would not have gotten Ken upset like this.

“On the TV...after you left.” He does not look up at Aya. “On the news, there was another one this morning...two more this afternoon.” Ken seemed to be having difficulty with his words like what he was trying to say could not quite come out. He really did not want to believe it but he was 100% sure of what he saw. “I saw Schuldig...in the crowd.” Finally his blue green eyes rise up to meet Aya’s. 

Ken looked like he had been climbing the walls all day. He had not called Yohji, did not want to. Told himself it was because he respected Yohji’s decision to want to be left alone but he knew that was a load of crap. He had also oddly enough been unable to reach either Birman or Omi. The poor guy had been sitting on this information all day and suddenly everyone had just dropped off the face of the planet. The fact that he had a sneaky suspicion in his gut that Schwartz was involved with the whole ordeal made his skin crawl.

Aya frowned. “Schuldig.” The man’s name tasted sour as he spoke it. “Sorry Ken… I… should have kept my phone on.” He tried to help the other to his feet. “They probably don’t even know we are alive, but if we get in deep through future missions in this they will find out.” He sneers a little. Pulling Ken to his feet he leads him into the small living room letting him sit back down again. Aya sits next to him… “I guess that would mean he’s probably not the only one still kicking it.” He sighs a little. “Sorry...” He says again. It was the most Ken had ever heard him apologize. 

He understood Ken’s state perfectly now, that would be a good reason to get the brunette climbing the walls for sure. “We still need to try and lay low as best we can. Does Omi know yet?”

Out of everyone Ken had fared the worst in the tower incident. After Farfarello repeatedly slammed his head into that pillar he had needed quite a few stitches and had been barely responsive for three days. He may have been doing better now, the most well-adjusted but if Schuldig had survived there was a good chance the others had too. Ken shuddered at the thought that the crazy Irishman could still be walking around.

It only made sense that Schuldig was there because of what was going on. The information from the hospital had only gotten to Omi today and he was probably deep into decoding it but he needed to know. If Schwartz was involved it put a whole new sense of urgency on the matter. Their quick little recon mission had opened up a rather giant can of worms.

“Aya,” Ken’s voice is soft, barely audible. “I don’t know if I can...if it came down to it…” he seemed frustrated with himself. “I don’t know if I could face him again.”

Aya nods knowing what Ken is getting at. “I won’t let Farfarello near you. At least, I can promise I will do everything in my power to keep him away.” He sits there silently for a moment then glances at Ken, reaching down to take the other man's hand in his own and giving it a reassuring squeeze. In Aya’s mind he thought about Farfarello a moment, how he fought, how fast he was and his strength. The redhead had his own run in with Farfarello as well and knew just how dangerous he could be.

Though physical pain did not put the fear in Aya so much as the emotional did. Schuldig could drag that out of you with no effort. Also, Aya had been there watching Ken in his recovery after what Farfarello had done to him and that had scared him more than anything. He had not felt as strongly for Ken then as he did now, but extended periods of unconsciousness where not something he handled very well…

“I don't know.” He felt the warmth of the other man’s hand in his and it startled him a bit. In all the craziness that had been going through his head today he had almost forgotten about last night. “I don’t know if you could.” Ken looked over at Aya sitting beside him on the floor. He had to admit that part of his new obsession with getting stronger had been due to what had happened to him. It was a subconscious defense mechanism manifesting in the physical. Up until this point he had not realized that was what had been going on.

He desperately did not want another encounter with Schwartz but if they were alive and well and a part of this whole mess then they would be sure to run into them at some point. Ken was convinced the only reason any of them had made it out alive was because of the tower crumbling into the sea. Had the fight continued uninterrupted he was sure they would all be dead. That thought landed a punch in his gut.

Aya watched him, locking eyes with the brunette. “We’re trained assassins, Ken. I’ll fight to the death… for what I care about.” He reached up and touched the brunette’s cheek with the back of his knuckles gently. “If they are involved… we will meet them again… and I hate that.” He dropped his hand, hanging his head a bit. Schwartz was the closest all of them had come to death and Aya was not sure he would be able to handle the loss of Ken should things come to that. Now that he recognized his feelings he did not want to let that go. 

When he went to see his sister he normally did not visit the family memorial but this time things were different. He felt silly but sometimes he went out there and talked to his parents. It was his way of sorting things out. Tonight’s topic of course was Ken. He had spent several hours evaluating this door that had opened in his life. There was a lot of potential danger from giving in and admitting his feelings, he knew that but he decided on his part that he would face those challenges. 

“Well, they don’t know about us yet.” He says trying to reassure Ken. “We should be okay for now. Sorry to have worried you….” His red brows knitted in concern.

Ken shook his head trying to clear it of the image of that one golden eye staring at him. “You’re right, we are fighters; killers...we should be prepared for death.” Ken had been closer to death twice more than he cared to remember. The first time when he had been knocked unconscious in that warehouse and been left to burn to death had been traumatic enough. He could still remember the burn in his lungs from all the smoke inhalation and the rawness of his right shoulder which had taken the brunt of the burn. Then after the tower, the last thing he remembered before waking up three days later was how warm his blood felt trickling down the back of his neck. A little shudder passed through him again.

“Don’t apologize.” The tone in Ken’s voice shifted suddenly and he could feel the stones of his own wall starting to stack up. Last night had been different, before Schuldig...before Schwartz had come back. The brunette tensed a little feeling foolish for breaking down. “I should try to get a hold of Omi again.” He stood up.

Aya watched him get up, standing as well. “Yeah, well I’ll take death over…” his voice drifted a little bit and he finally shook his head. “Yeah try Omi. They have to know and be able to look out to confirm things.” 

Aya remembered it so damn clearly, Ken’s near lifeless body in front of him. He was not sure what had scared him more; that potential loss, or the fact that’s when he started realizing his feelings for Ken. He kept those feelings under wraps, even though he had spent most of those three days sitting at Ken’s bedside. He wondered if he would ever escape such a scenario. Luckily Ken had woken up and recovered quickly and the world had continued to turn.

Ken looked over his shoulder to the redhead and nodded...Aya did not need to finish his sentence. Pulling his phone from one of the cargo pockets on his pants he punched the button for Omi. It rang several times before it connected. “Omi,” Ken’s voice was deep and serious, “there’s been a development.”

“Ken I saw you had called. I was about to get back to you. Sorry, I’ve been in meetings all day.” He says in a voice that sounded both very boyish and worn down. “What’s goin’ on? Seems important.” Omi shuffled his papers in the background, turning them into a neat pile on his desk.

Aya just listened to Ken’s side of the conversation, going into the kitchen to get a cold tea out of the fridge. Omi would need to know for sure so he could pass on the information to the right people. Aya went to one of the windows, staring out into the narrow streets around their home. His eyes automatically shifted from one group of shadows to another; always looking for a potential threat.

Ken’s voice had taken on a steely edge to it. Whatever inner trauma he had been fighting all day was suddenly pushed away. “On the news today I thought I saw Schuldig in the crowd. It was at the first incident this morning. He was...smiling.” The brunette paced back and forth through the small kitchen. The back of his head felt tight. “We need to know how many of them survived. I think they might have something to do with these strange things going on.”

“Schuldig?” He sounded surprised. “Alright, I’ll take a look at that news clip from this morning and see if I can get a positive ID on him, see if I spot any of the others.” He says. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention Ken-kun.” Omi’s voice sounded a bit stunned. “I’ll see if we can find out for sure how many of them are here.”

Aya glanced at Ken then back out the window. He could see the brunette building up a wall but really they all had walls they had needed to build over the years. Farfarello scared him a lot as well, mostly because of what he had done to Ken. The redhead did not fear for his own safety so much as Ken’s mental state.

“Right, keep us posted. Oh, and Omi.” Ken really did not want to bring this up but felt like the other man should know. “Yohji is having some...issues. If at all possible it may be best to keep him out of any missions for a bit. Aya and I can handle things. Maybe send Birman to check up on him? I don’t think he’s very happy with me at the moment.” He did not need to say ‘with Aya’ either. It was a well-known fact that it was a bad idea to let the blonde and redhead spend too much alone time together.

Ken leaned against the fridge tilting his head back, the strong muscles in his jaw popping out when he ground his teeth together. His whole body had gone tense and the muscles in his chest stretched the fabric of his shirt slightly like he was steeling himself for a blow.

“Ken, tomorrow night I want you and Aya to visit the scenes of these events. See if you can find anything out. Look for anything that might help us.” He tells him. “Get in contact with me after you’ve checked them all out. I will get back with you the moment I know anything more about Schwartz.”

Aya eyed Ken again, watching that body tense up more and more as he hung up the phone. Ken was going to blow a gasket if he could not calm him down. Once Ken was off the phone Aya walked the few steps to the fridge, standing next to him. “You going to be okay?”

Ken rolled his head to the side something dangerous lurking behind his eyes. “Don’t have much of a choice.” His words were clipped. He stepped away from the fridge both hands clenched into fists. An internal battle was waging in his mind right now. He was trying to fight back the cold fear that coiled like a viper in his stomach, trying to push away the memory of Farfarello crushing his face in his vice like grip. He had to hold it together. The conflicting energy was practically vibrating off of him.

“Ken…” Aya’s voice was low. “Facing them is probably inevitable but getting wound up about it right now won’t do you any good.” He was firm with his words, trying to get the point across. That may not have been the right way to approach it but Aya really knew no other way. He often chastised himself for things like this internally after the fact. The redhead watched the other man intently. It was obvious he was a bit of a ticking time bomb right now.

Looking back at Aya he almost broke for a second a flash of fear crossed his face. Things were difficult. He cared for Aya, did not want anything to happen to him but knew deep down that the redhead was just as broken as he was. Who was he kidding anyhow? The little domestic dream had to end sometime. It was just a real slap in the face that the cause was Schwartz though.

Pale light started filtering in through the window. It looked like the shop was going to be closed for another day. Ken thought absently that he should probably put a sign on the door downstairs. It was a silly thing to be thinking of at that moment. Aya was right, getting worked up did absolutely nothing but he did not understand how bad Ken’s anxiety was becoming. It was like the possibility of Schwartz being alive had triggered something in him, the post-traumatic stress of it all not hitting full force until today.

“Ken, you need sleep.” Aya finally says. “What can I do?” His voice is oddly tentative. “Tell me what to do to help and I’ll do it.” He says approaching the other. He was having difficulty reading him at the moment, unsure how he would react to anything right now. The redhead puts a hand on Ken’s shoulder gingerly. He wanted to help; he wanted to help more than anything. He just was not sure exactly how.

The brunette turned when Aya put his hand to his shoulder biting into his lower lip. Suddenly he closed the space between them and wrapped his arms about the redhead burying his face into the other’s shoulder. He squeezed tight his body shaking slightly. The smell of Aya’s cologne was strangely comforting. Ken breathed in heavily. “I don’t want to remember Aya...but I see it...his face. That one dead eye staring at me, judging all my sins.”

Aya froze initially, still not used to that sort of thing. He eventually relaxed though and put his arms around the other, one hand to the back of his neck, the other on his lower back. He held him tightly as if it were just dawning on him that holding him would be a good thing to do. 

“I’m here Ken. I’m here… we all have a lot of sins… but by our transgressions we take away the bigger ones, the ones that hurt those who are innocent.” He started moving his fingers rubbing the back of his neck a little bit. 

“Just talk to me, about anything. I just need to hear your voice.” He gripped onto Aya tighter as if the images in his mind renewed their onslaught. Ken was mere moments away from tipping over the edge. He just could not let his anger take this one. The fear was too strong. It sent icy knives through his chest. Ken had always been so brave, so confident that everything would work out and when he got upset about something he got angry. Sometimes he used to get sad but after Yuriko he had buried that emotion too. This sudden all-consuming fear that Farfarello might get his hands on him was breaking him down, making him question himself.

“Cmon.” Aya finally pried Ken off of him and pulled him down into his room. “You need sleep, just try to relax, we can lay here and talk all you want.” Maybe just holding the other in bed for a while would help. He was not sure but it was worth a shot. He pulled off his own shirt and dropped his pants down to the floor. “Cmon.” He beckons to Ken to do the same. 

Ken numbly lets Aya undress him his eyes darting about in the dark room. “I...I don’t want to sleep.” Truth was he was terrified of the dreams he might have. He let the other pull him into the soft sheets, the heat of Aya’s body anchoring him somewhat back in reality. “I’m sorry Aya.” He knew the other was ill equipped to deal with this. “I feel like such an idiot.” His sarcastic sounding laugh hit the air.

“Know why I feel like an idiot?’ He asks him, putting his arms around him letting Ken’s head rest on his shoulder as they laid back. “I spent several hours talking to my dead parents about you.” He reached up to run his fingers through the brunette’s hair. “I guess it was less talking to them, as that is just foolish and they can’t hear me but more of me coming to terms with some things. Evaluating my life.” He sighs softly. “I guess that’s why I’m here for you now is I found some of my answers.” He did not really know what to talk about exactly, so he decided to go over his day with the other man.

Ken could hear Aya’s heartbeat faintly as he lay there. “So you had the talk with your parents huh?” Ken could feel the anxiety draining away a bit. “Do you think they’ll like me?” A small half smile played across his lips. He was not teasing Aya really; in fact it was rather sweet and quite unexpected. Ken had not anticipated that the redhead would open up to him so easily.

“Answers, huh?” He wondered if Aya would ever tell him what exactly those questions had been.

Aya nods. “I was a bit apprehensive about… opening up to you at all but here we are. You’re a weakness now.” He closes his eyes a moment. “Though, I gotta say… you are the strongest weakness I’ve got. I have faith that you can take care of yourself. I have faith in your abilities. You’re not a pushover Ken.” His other arm was under him and he turned his hand a bit to scratch at what bit of the other man’s lower back he could reach.

“You are not only strong, but we make a pretty good team. I think we are very capable of defending each other just as much as ourselves.” He bites his lower lip a moment then releases it with another soft sigh. “I don’t even remember all the crap I prattled on about this evening at the memorial. I just feel more confident now.”

“Sorry for killing your buzz.” Ken rolled himself to his side facing Aya. He was already feeling much calmer, the sound of the others voice relaxing him some. The warm, soft blankets surrounding them like a protective nest. As long as he was distracted the tight feeling in his chest continued to subside.

“You miss them a lot, don’t you?” Even though Ken’s father was still alive he had ceased contact with him long ago. There was little point anyway; the man had basically dumped him at the church after Ken’s mother had passed. He barely remembered either of his parents actually. Growing up, his whole life had been devoted to his love of soccer but that had ended badly for him too.

“I do… I had one of those uncommon happy families.” He tells him. “Wasn’t all that long ago I was a clumsy teenager trying to figure out life.” He shakes his head a little then opens his eyes looking into Kens. “I know you didn’t have it easy with your family.” He frowns. “What happened to you was quite unfair.” He gives a small hint of a smile. “Am I helping?”

“Yes, I’m feeling a bit calmer. It is what it is I guess. After this,” he gives his scarred shoulder a little shrug. “I just sort of drifted. I thought Kase was dead. I was a disgrace to everyone even after I had ‘died’. It took months for the tabloids to get bored with my story. Then this redhead walks up to me one day and says she has a job opening for me.” Nuzzling into Aya’s shoulder he felt his eyes growing a bit heavy. “It’s hard to imagine you as a gawky teenager.” Aya was just so damned gorgeous the brunette could not picture him any other way.

“Yeah I was a dork.” He puts his forehead against the others. He finally pulled his one arm out from under Ken. “It’s going to sleep.” He settles it between them, his free arm over Ken’s ribs and under his arm. “Without a care in the world. I knew being an adult would be more responsibility but I never would have imagined things turning out like this.” The redhead closed his eyes, the long day having drained him a bit. “I’m okay with it though. I’ve...come to terms with a lot of things.”

Ken reached up and brushed back a bit of Aya’s hair from his face. “I don’t think any of us are actually ok...we just put up a good front.” Ken had come to terms long ago with the killing. There were just some situations the justice system could not handle and some people were so evil they needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible. The four of them were assassins, paid to spill the blood of others but in doing so they had also saved countless lives.

“A dork huh? You weren’t on the chess team or anything were you?” He came to realize that he knew absolutely nothing about who Aya had been before joining Weiß. He knew nothing of the boy named Ran. It did not really matter he supposed since they had all shed their old lives anyway. They were different people now.

“Well I wasn’t a chess team dork but I was pretty borderline on who you jock types liked to hand out wedgies to.” He smirks. “I guess it doesn’t matter now though.” Obviously Aya was having much the same thoughts Ken was. “You are fighting sleep. I’ll be here if you need me. I won’t get up and disappear or anything. I’ll be right here.” He says his voice getting softer. He was obviously quite tired after pulling another all-nighter.

“Mmmmm. You better not slip out on me.” He wrapped an arm around Aya turning the other in so that his back was facing him. “Thank you.” He whispered into the back of Aya’s neck before placing a kiss there. His eyes were getting very heavy now, the scent of Aya and the feel of the sheets creating a comforting cloud around his tired brain. “Oyasume.”

“Sleep well…” he tells him, closing his eyes. He hoped Ken would get some sleep, the guy really needed it. Aya had a bit of hard time drifting off but he finally did after about an hour. Even when he woke up earlier than Ken did late in the day he stayed put, letting the other wake up on his own. He was concerned about Ken’s stability and only hoped their budding relationship could help him out even just a little bit.


	9. Chapter 9

Ken kept a pretty tight hold on Aya for the rest of the morning while the two of them slept. He occasionally would jerk and start in his sleep not at all like how he had been their first night together. It was obvious the brunette’s subconscious was tormenting him. He never did actually wake up or cry out in his sleep though. Eventually his eyes fluttered open around 3 o’clock that afternoon. Surprised that Aya was still in bed with him he asked, “How long have you been awake?”

“An hour or so.” He says turning a bit to look over his shoulder at the other man. “You were more restless than our first night sleeping together. Nightmares? I don’t really… dream all that much.” He says offhandedly, turning over in Ken’s arms fully to lie face to face with him. “I told you I’d stay.”

The brunette smiled. “Thank you. I know I was pretty out of sorts last night.” He pulled the redhead in closer to his chest. “The whole thing just really caught me off guard. I must be getting soft.” Ken placed a soft kiss on Aya’s forehead then released him. The prospect of having to investigate the shop, restaurant and office buildings did not sit well with him but at least it would give them something to do. 

He began to untangle himself from the sheets. “Where do you want to start tonight? All of the areas will probably still be closed off to the public I imagine.” The warm afternoon light coming in through Aya’s window gave a deceptively peaceful calm to the air. In a few hours they would be back out in the night hunting for clues. He sure hoped that Omi had come up with something for them to go on. Thoughts of Yohji guiltily ran through his mind as he shifted on the bed.

Aya reflected on last night for a quick moment before scooting to the end of the bed and getting up. “I’m just glad I could be of some help.” He finally said. “It is not often that you worry me like that. I just should have checked my phone at least once.” He shrugged his shoulders a little, turning to his dresser to pick out some clothes.

“Let’s start with the clothing shop and move on from there. It’ll be all taped off but at night no one should be there. Maybe a security guard?” He stood there watching Ken try to flee the sheets. “You rarely even move at night, how did you get tangled up? Well I guess you were fidgety a bit…” Aya was a light sleeper and he tossed and turned a bit when he was out. “Maybe it is my fault?” He said scratching the back of his head. 

It sort of struck Ken that Aya had admitted to being worried about him. By the redhead’s reactions last night it was pretty obvious, he just had not expected him to actually say anything about it. In fact over the past 48 hours Aya had spoken more than he usually did in a week. “No...It’s fine. I want you to know that I respect your privacy...I know how you don’t like people prying into your life. Last night was just a mess no matter how you look at it; bad timing mostly.” 

The brunette still felt a bit of tightness in his stomach. He hated that the Irishman scared him so much. It was just that Farfarello was so damned fast. It was not like Ken was slow or anything but the other moved with almost unnatural speed at times, in fact all of the members of Schwartz did. He wondered if maybe their genetics had been tampered with. After the incident with Masafumi Taketori he never ruled out anything anymore. Ken flailed at the sheets a bit, the top one somehow having snaked around his legs. “Aya, I don’t think your bed wants me to leave.”

“You’ve gained its trust.” Aya says pulling on a nice shirt and some jeans. “We’ve got a few hours to kill before dark, what do you want to do?” He really just wanted to keep Ken’s mind off of things as much as possible. Aya’s phone suddenly buzzed with a text. “Weird.” He says flipping the phone open. “Omi says none of the bodies were checked in at any of the local hospitals. They all disappeared once the ambulances took them away.”

Ken finally managed to free himself and stood up. “I can’t say I’m too surprised really, any news on Dr. Inumura or the hospital where the vaccinations were given?” He began picking up his clothes from the floor where they had fallen last night. 

Balling them up in front of him he began to notice how stiff he felt. It had been a good two days since he had worked out, his fight the other night and his time with Aya being the only times he had broken a sweat. The purple around his eye was slowly starting to diminish but he still looked like a boxer who had lost a match.

Aya shot a quick text back to Omi, asking him to let them know if anything else came up then slipped his phone into his pocket. “Nothin’ said about Inumura.” He tells him stretching his body, his fingers reaching for the ceiling. The redhead headed to the bathroom. He hoped tonight would not be eventful and if they were in luck they would find some clues to help out the investigation as well.

When Aya was done, Ken took his turn. He pulled on a pair of shorts and a sleeveless muscle shirt. Walking into the kitchen he spoke, “I think I’m gonna go for a run. Clear my head a bit.” He opened the fridge looking for a quick bite to eat finally deciding on a bottle of orange juice. Grabbing the bread loaf from atop the fridge he proceeded to make himself toast. “I’ll have my phone on me if anything comes up.”

He watched Aya for a moment and felt a little flutter in his chest. Despite all the crap that was going on it somehow made Ken feel better just looking at the other man. He really was arrestingly beautiful. The part that made it so appealing though was that the redhead seemed completely clueless of his own attractiveness. Sure, he took care of himself. Wore expensive cologne and for the most part dressed nicely but he never seemed to go out of his way to try and appear attractive. The man literally spent maybe 10 minutes in the bathroom every morning getting ready. Yet somehow in those dark jeans and that button down shirt he seemed like he belonged on a runway. Ken caught himself staring.

Aya nods. “Alright, have a good run.” He tells him putting on coffee. “Leave the bread out, I’ll use it.” A sandwich did not sound like a bad idea. Aya really did not seem to play off his looks too much; he was just a stickler for looking well-dressed if anything. He saw it as a form of treating himself, especially now since the majority of his pay was not going to outrageous hospital bills. 

While Ken was gone he decided to do some at home exercises; stretches and light weights. It was a usual part of his morning routine to keep limbered up. But like Ken, the past few days had kind of thrown him off a bit. He did not do near as much as Ken did to work his body but he also did not need the same type of strength, keeping flexible was more important. One thing he had not found yet since the change of address was a good place to practice with Shion. It was quickly becoming a top priority for him. 

The brunette was gone for about an hour taking his usual route through the neighborhood. The nice spring afternoon did a lot to lift his spirits. The Cherry trees where just starting to put on buds and if the weather stayed warm, they would be in full bloom in about a week. For approximately 2 weeks the breeze would blow the delicate pink and white petals through the air like snowflakes. The streets would be carpeted in their fragile blossoms. It really drove home to Ken the beauty and fragility in life.

His mind drifted back to Aya and what had happened between them. It all seemed like a dream that could be popped by reality like a bubble. He did care for the other man quite a lot, which honestly did not bother him. One of his soccer team buddies back in J-league had been pretty openly gay. It had never changed the way Ken thought about him. Now that Ken was in a similar situation though he did wonder if perhaps he was bi-sexual. Aya was the only man he had ever felt an attraction too but he had honestly never really gotten a chance to explore that aspect of himself. Being a pro-athlete had not left much time for dating. 

All these thoughts were still swirling in his head when he got back to the shop. Before getting out his key to open the door Mrs. Nishimura popped her head out from next door. “Is everything ok Hidaka-San?” She invariably bounced back and forth between the more formal name and just using his first. Ken blamed it on her advanced age. “You haven’t opened up shop for two days.”

“Oh, greetings Mrs. Nishimura. No, no everything is fine. We just decided to take a couple days off to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.” Ken wiped the sweat from his brow. “We will open again the day after tomorrow.” He opened the door to the shop, said his goodbyes and stepped inside.

Aya was lying down in front of the TV flipping channels when Ken got back upstairs. He was enjoying another cup of coffee pretty much just killing time. “Good run?” Aya called to him as he came up the stairs. He had done a bit of thinking himself while Ken was gone, he had his concerns about Schwartz for sure but Ken had been on his mind more than anything else. The man was shaken and that concerned him. He did not mean to think poorly of the brunette for it but that could cause a serious problem if he got worked up and they actually had a face to face confrontation with Schwartz. He hoped Ken would be able to hold it together. He had a lot more faith in Ken than he did the others for the most part. 

“Yeah! Felt good to get out.” He poured himself a glass of water and chugged it down. “It’s a beautiful day out there.” Ken seemed like he was back to his old self. How much he was still pushing down inside though was hard to tell. 

“I’m gonna grab a shower and then we can work out some details about tonight.” So far they had not been ordered to kill anyone but as soon as Omi found out who was at the top of this mess he would give the order. It was strange thinking of Omi possibly becoming Persia. For all intents and purposes that was basically what he was being groomed to do. As the heir to the Taketori family and its coinciding fortune the responsibility had fallen to him. Ken did trust in Omi; that he would make the right decisions. He knew though that the distance between Omi and the others would only continue to grow and that saddened him a bit.

Aya watched him from their living room. He had a small bowl of noodles he was eating along with the coffee; he looked into the bowl intently his mind elsewhere for a moment. Ken sure looked pretty good after a jog. He smiled a little to himself rather unaware of it. It was odd to find any sense of happiness out of another human being. The only person he allowed to make him happy all these years was his sister but there was no actual contact involved in it. 

Omi had been distancing himself for a while now. Probably because he would be giving the only people he considered friends orders to go into danger. Really it was best that they were distanced from him. Aya knew it and understood it… his mind had wandered often about finding life in this business elsewhere. The Takatori name still left a bitter taste in his mouth and he really did not think he would be able to work for that family even if it was Omi… or was it Mamoru now? Guess the first name did not matter anymore.

Ken was quick with his shower and soon emerged sparkling clean and smelling of that delicious spiced body wash. His clothing choices had always been simple; jeans and tee shirts mostly. The occasional long sleeved pullover or sweater in the winter and he still had his brown leather motorcycle jacket, which aside from his boots was probably the most expensive item of clothing he owned. This evening he had chosen dark jeans and a simple black tee shirt.

“Have you eaten Aya?” He asked coming into the kitchen. He figured he should fuel up if they were going to be out all night searching the city. “I could make hamburgers or something?”

Aya held up the half-eaten bowl of noodles. “I made myself some food. I figure I have to cut back on Ken made food or I’ll get fat.” Aya looked good no matter what he did though, even if he was typically oblivious to it. Between Ken’s cooking, and them having to lay low for a while it was starting to show. 

“Alright, I’ll just make a protein shake then.” He began pulling out the numerous strange ingredients he put into those things. “If you like I can stop feeding you.” Ken teased Aya slightly. Last year Aya had been pretty thin. His muscles were toned for sure but his body did not seem to pack on a lot of weight. Now he was beginning to fill out a little bit, his shoulders broader, legs larger and more muscular. He was definitely starting to lose his super lithe teenage build.

“You stop cooking for me all together and I’ll throw a fit and starve.” He tells him sternly, even though he was making a joke about it. Aya got up finally from where he sat on the floor and wandered into the kitchen, eating the last of his noodles on the way. He put his dish in the sink and stood next to the brunette. “I’ve got a bit of a game plan; I figure we can stop at the shop and alley first since it’s not that far away.”

“Yeah, hit up the first incident site from yesterday, sounds good.” The blender whirred to life drowning out Ken’s voice for a second.

He watched him idly for a moment or two making his weird concoction. Finally he just shook his head. “At least you don’t make those things for me.” He murmurs as he walks behind Ken and over to the table to sit down. ”Yeah I figure the shop is a good start, we can move on to the second incident site after that.” 

Ken poured up his strange concoction and started drinking it down. Really it was all about ratio and getting the taste right. When he had first started making them some had come out really terrible. “They’re not that bad.” He gives the other a pointed look and takes another big swig.

“Anything more on Omi’s end?” There was a small chance that he had found out something in this short amount of time but it was worth a shot. Ken finished his shake and then grabbed an apple out of the fruit dish on the counter. He pulled a knife from the drawer and started peeling it.

“Nothing yet. He’s probably got his hands full at this point. Schwartz never did make things easy.” Aya hated saying the word really, but they had to be involved. Ken was not the type to just get delusions off the TV. Schuldig especially stood out from a crown in Japan being a ginger and all.

“If he knew something he’d let us know.” Aya had faith in Omi no matter how he felt about his family name. “We've just gotta hope for something to come up tonight.” 

Aya got up going to their computer, a laptop they kept in the living room. He started looking for the news report Ken had seen. He scrolled through a few videos before finding the right one. He paused the video narrowing his eyes at it. “I’m sure Omi has seen this by now as well.”

Ken sliced off a piece of apple and popped it in his mouth. He did not even want to go look at the computer screen where Aya was playing back the news footage. “That’s gotta be him, right?” His voice had dropped. 

The brunette absent mindedly sliced another piece of the fruit his mind already starting to wander again to places he did not want it to go. “Ow, damn.” He dropped the knife to the floor with clatter. Bright red blood welled up from his thumb smearing the white flesh of the apple in his hand.

Aya frowned, shutting off the computer and getting up. “Clumsy.” He says getting a damp paper towel and handing it to him. He knelt down to pick up the knife, looking to Ken. “You sure like to hurt yourself a lot.” 

The redhead went into the bathroom to get a band aid from the cabinet to put on Ken’s thumb. “You get lost in your thoughts?” He had not responded to Ken’s question. It was definitely Schuldig, but he really did not want to think about it for now. “I’m going to go down and check the flowers in the cooler shouldn’t take me long, then we’ll head out.” He looked Ken in the eyes for a moment and then gave him a small smile, a subtle tug at the corners of his mouth. “Pay better attention.”

Ken let Aya bandage his finger having tossed the ruined apple in the garbage can. “Yeah.” He hated to admit it. Dropping his head low for a moment, letting shaggy bangs fall into his eyes he did the only thing he could think of to stop the track his mind was barreling down.

Reaching up he grabbed Aya by the back of the neck and drew him forward, his tongue flicking out quickly over his lips before he placed his mouth to the red heads. They had not shared many kisses up to this point. The first had been violent which Aya had started all of this with, and then his little peck on Ken’s lips before he had left yesterday. 

This kiss was entirely different. It was desperate almost, searching but soft and deep. Ken put his other hand around Aya’s waist and pulled their bodies together for a moment. His mouth and tongue seemed to memorize the other’s own touching every part they could. That kiss grounded the brunette assassin in reality. Reluctantly he pulled away before his hands could start wandering.

“I didn’t know when I’d get the chance to do that.” He fibbed slightly, but it wasn’t quite untrue. He had wanted to kiss the other since his return. It was a very selfish kiss; a kiss that Ken needed desperately. “I just figured I’d get that out of the way before you go into mission mode.”

Aya leaned in against him, not going rigid this time at the initial contact like he normally did. He put his arms around Ken’s hips clutching his back a bit to share that kiss with him. As Ken drew away, Aya watched his face a moment before leaning into kiss him another time, a sweet gentle kiss before letting go of the brunette. “Well you certainly can have one any time you want.” He tells him. “Just remember that.” He reached up and touched the others face a moment before turning and going downstairs to care for the shop.

Letting out a heavy breath Ken went to his room to get ready. He looked guiltily at the holes in his wall from the other night. He would probably have to take that entire section of the wall out and replace it. Ken wrestled with his anger issues a lot and had thought they were getting better. Between everything going on in the last couple of days it was no wonder he was on edge though.

Pulling out the trunk that contained his gear he sat it on his bed and flipped it open. Since the tower incident he had changed up his assassin attire a bit. He no longer wore his motorcycle goggles all the time unless he was actually riding. Simple dark jeans and his well-worn boots though were a must. Frequently his shirt was in a dark color as well and he had traded out the brown leather jacket; which he used now just for pleasure riding, with a newer midnight blue one. He had even gone so far as to reinforce some of the padded sections with steel plating. Slipping his fingers into the glove of his weapon he felt like he was putting on an extension of himself.

After a while Aya came up going right into his room to pull on his coat and boots. He now wore a blue shirt with a high collar under a white trench coat. Pulling out Shion he gazed at it for a moment before sheathing it and placing it in the carrying bag he slung across his back. He had also taken to wearing a watch like Yohji’s, the garrote wire having come in handy on more than one occasion. The redhead came out of his room after putting on his boots. “You ready, Ken?” He calls to the other as he headed back toward the stairs. “Lets just take my car.”

Ken came out nodding. “I don’t think I could talk you into getting on the back of my bike anyway.” He smiles a little. Aya’s new coat was quite catching on him. The redhead had obviously had it custom made. It fit him like a glove too, conforming to all his curves and angles. The thought of Aya wrapping his arms tightly around Ken’s waist as they rode off into the night was not an unpleasant idea but the brunette doubted it would ever happen.

He walked towards the stairs. “Everything taken care of in the shop?” It would not do to let the flowers wilt, bad for business and all that. They may have been able to close and open whenever they wanted but that did not mean they could neglect the actual everyday chores of running the place.

“Everything is in order.” He said walking down the stairs and out the back to get into the driver’s seat of his car. Aya turned on the radio, flipping channels to a news station just in case something new came up. He drove mostly in silence to the first crime scene. The sun had dipped down below the horizon, the twilight hours painted the city in shades of purple and rose.

Ken did not try to initiate conversation in the car, there was no point really. Both listened intently for news of another incident but despite the general panic the media was causing there were no further developments.

Reaching the shopping area he parked the car a few blocks away then headed towards the shop with Ken. Police tape was strung about the front of the shop and alley way, but no one seemed to be nearby. Most of the pedestrian traffic had moved into the surrounding blocks trying to keep away from the spot of yesterday’s massacre. 

Ken poked his head down the dark alley way. Luckily the building that the shop was in had its service door on this side. During the day the alley would be fairly easy to navigate since the building itself was not very tall; letting the sunshine down into the narrow lane. With the growing twilight though, murky shadows stretched their lengths along the concrete creating pockets of darkness.

“Abyssinian.” Ken used Aya’s code name directing the other’s attention to a door that was just slightly ajar. In bold black printed letters the stores name, ‘Sunlight Fashion Wear,’ looked somewhat ironic in the gloomy environment. 

The police had in fact shut down the entire building until a further investigation could be completed. There was some concern that maybe these outbursts were chemically induced and if any remnants were in the building it posed a serious risk to the employees working there. Lucky for Aya and Ken it gave them the run of the place. It seemed like they would not have to deal with night security either. They would have to be wary of cameras for sure but both were experts at using the shadows to their advantage and with no lights on in the building they would have plenty of cover.

Aya nodded going to the door and pulling it open just enough to peek inside. Everything was dark, and the shop was a complete wreck. Things had really gone down badly in there. The redhead then slipped in just enough to get a good look and replay the incident in his mind. His eyes glanced about noticing where it had begun and where it spilled out into the alley, then towards the street. Going through these mental investigations was something he had learned from working for Kritiker before his time in Crashers. 

His eyes swept the room for cameras and he kept to the shadows. “The victim of this condition I believe was first shot to death here…” he said kneeling down by a rather large blood stain. “Then it appears things got much worse.” 

Ken had always been impressed with Aya’s ability to read a crime scene. It was definitely a great asset to the Weiß team. He often times was the first to locate critical information about where their targets were simply by observing the surrounding environment. The brunette kind of thought of it like a sixth sense that Aya had and they had all relied heavily on it in the past.

His eyes followed the blood spatters on the floor. There was quite a lot of it; no way could a person get back up after losing that much. Yet it was easy to follow the trail of the victim’s carnage. Had it not been reported on the news it would have been difficult to tell how many people had actually lost their lives from the scene before them now. There were several chalk outlines but the place was in such a disarray it was difficult to tell exactly how many.

“Do you think you can get a viable blood sample?” He knew Omi would definitely want to run some tests to try and find anything out of the ordinary. Looking around he took stock of where the cameras were placed. Luckily they were stationary so there would be definite blind spots; easy enough to get around.

Aya glanced up at the cameras, making a few mental judgments. He found a bit of blood up on the wall that he might get a sample from without being seen by the cameras. “I dunno if it will be viable or not, but looks like the best we can do.” He tells the brunette pulling a little plastic container out of his pocket. He swipes the blood with a cotton swab that was inside of it and seals it back up again then back into his pocket it went. 

Ken had stuck pretty close to the wall keeping out of the cameras line of sight. He glanced around the darkened shop to see if there was anything else obvious he could spot. Aside from a few knocked over mannequins and disrupted counters there did not seem to be too much. Most of the major evidence had most likely already been removed. There was a gunshot hole in the wall where it appeared an officer had missed his target. 

Aya scanned the area where he stood. “I am not seeing much else that could be useful.” He finally said shrugging his shoulders a bit. “I’m going to try and get some blood samples from the other sites as well, but this is about all I can get from here. The bodies never being checked in and having gone missing makes things a bit rough. It may be hard to identify the victim’s blood from the attackers.”

“Hn.” Ken nods. There really was not a lot at this particular site. About the only other thing that could be helpful would be if they could actually see the store footage of what had happened. In all likelihood the tapes had probably been taken by police or perhaps those that were behind this whole fiasco.

“Alright, I’m not seeing much either. I think the next incident happened at that fancy restaurant over in Shinjuku.” He turned around and headed back towards the side entrance. If things had played out similarly at the next scene then the restaurant would probably be closed as well. There were pretty big concerns about keeping people away from the sites to limit possible exposure to an unknown compound. “Let’s go.”

“Alright.” Aya withdrew out of the side door and back into the alley. There was not as much leftover chaos out here seemed, but it was obvious things had spilled out onto the street. Violet eyes flashed around the scene one more time before he and Ken made their way back to his car. 

“I’m sure the next site was a big surprise for the locals. That restaurant is pretty upscale I hear.” He tells Ken as they settle in for the drive. Something was not sitting right with the redhead, his brow furrowed deeply in thought as he pulled out into the evening traffic.


	10. Chapter 10

As the two got into the car and started driving to the next location Ken noticed a change in Aya. “What’s on your mind?” He asked casually. There was a chance the redhead was starting to put some things together. If his intuition was telling him something about this mission then Ken wanted to know.

Even with it being later in the evening there was still a good bit of traffic that they had to work through. It would take them sometime to get to their destination. The probability of the restaurant being closed was good but there was still likely to be plenty of activity in the area so they would have to be careful about sneaking in. Once inside though, there would be little to worry about.

“What triggered these events? I’ve seen the case files and they were normal people with no criminal history. Something had to have been a trigger… ingested maybe?” Aya shrugged one shoulder. Sitting in traffic was becoming a bother. He glared at the cars ahead of him. “I don’t know what I should be on the lookout for.” He sighed sounding a bit frustrated. 

Eventually the two made it to the section of town the restaurant was in finding an inconspicuous spot to park Aya’s car in. The redhead stepped out of the vehicle and turned toward Ken. “If an ingested substance is the trigger… it’ll be hell trying to figure out what exactly to look for in the restaurant. The last place was a shop so how did it happen there?” Even though he seemed to be addressing Ken it was mostly thinking out loud, the redhead’s mind working busily to form some sort of theory.

“Well, they all went to the same hospital, right?” Ken started walking in the direction of the building. “They all received vaccinations from this Dr. Inumura. Maybe they were injected with something that was harmless but when exposed to another substance causes these explosive reactions?”

He put his hand up to his face wracking his brain for an answer. “I don’t know what all Omi has been able to decode from the hospital info, but there has got to be a connection.” The two walked down the block keeping an eye out for people. 

Since most of the shops ran on the other side of the block there was relatively little foot traffic on this side. Just like the previous shop this restaurant had an entrance on the side of the building. There was a partially hidden loading dock area where they received deliveries for their exotic menu items. These places always had cameras and for half a second Ken really wished Omi was here to knock them out with his darts. “We should be able to get in back here. Keep an eye out for security.” Ken hopped the low wall between the street and loading dock.

Aya nodded to Ken, ducking into the alley and scanning around for cameras. From his position he could see that the door was ajar and there was blood on it. Someone had been thrown through that door hard enough to bust the hinges right off the frame.

He slid up to the door keeping tight to the wall and out of the light. Fingering it open a bit he glanced in, his eyes immediately searching for cameras and where they were pointed. “More fixed cameras inside.” He tells the brunette. “One is pointed at this door.” He said peering through the crack.

“Crap.” Ken stood with his hands on his hips surveying the building. There were two metal pull down shutters at the loading dock for the trucks to back up to. He might be able to shimmy one of those open. Quickly hopping up onto the ledge he crouched down by the bottom of the long bay door. “I think I might be able to get this one open.”

Aya came around the back and stood behind Ken, his eyes ever watchful of their surroundings. “Can you? Hopefully we don’t run into any cameras on this side.” He commented idly, waiting for Ken to jimmy the lock. Aya got up on the ledge when the door opened and peered in. He could not spot any cameras directly pointed their way at least. “I think we are good now.”

Both assassins crawled in under the door. The area opened up into a small warehouse type space and there were various crates and boxes filled with things necessary to run a restaurant. It was very dark, the only light coming in from a small window high in the wall. The door they had tried earlier did not seem to connect with this section of the building. They would have to find another way and loop back through to get to the main area.

“The news said that the woman began experiencing some sort of seizure in the dining room. A fellow patron tried to help her but she suddenly snapped out of it and became violent.” The brunette tried a door at the opposite end of the room, it clicked open softly and he poked his head in.

Aya looked around the area before coming up behind Ken. He glanced over his shoulder into the room as well. “Looks like we’ve got a good spot. Camera is more pointed behind the counter there.” The redhead squeezed past the other, crouching down by the wall and scanning the area carefully taking in every detail he could.

They had entered part of the kitchen and things looked pretty much in order. Stainless steel counters and various cooking utensils filled the room. Several large ovens lined one wall like great, silent giants. It would be easy to scoot along the opposite wall and out into the dining room proper.

Ken tapped Aya on the shoulder to let him know he was moving on from the area. For some reason he felt like he needed to be very quiet. There was definitely a different feeling to this place from the last. He could not quite put his finger on it but it was almost like a lingering presence. Out of the four events yesterday this one had caused the most casualties. A shudder passed through the brunette as he thought of all the possible spirits that could still be hanging around in the building.

Aya nodded to him then carefully moved along the wall. There was a lot of blood; there was no way he would know for sure if he was getting the right sample. It seemed more likely that this blood would be tainted with the blood of the victims. There were broken glasses and plates and bowls everywhere, tables upended and chairs over turned. This scene was much more chaotic than the last.

There was one whole section of the dining room completely sectioned off by yellow police tape. About a dozen tables had been disturbed and blood liberally splattered the floor. Ken was having much the same thoughts as Aya. Getting any kind of decent sample would prove almost impossible. It still might be worth looking around though. It seemed that the authorities and hotel staff had not disturbed the scene and the crime scene cleanup crew obviously had not been in yet. “We should still take a look. With all this blood it’s possible something was missed especially if some of the cops weren’t on the payroll.”

He ducked under the police tape quickly stepping around a large dark stain on the wooden floor. “Can you tell what happened here Abyssinian?” Ken wrinkled his nose at the slight metallic scent that still hung in the air.

Aya got in closer to take a good look. “Well what I heard from the reports, she started having seizures…” he says. “Looks like this might be the spot. Whoever was trying to help her and keep her from biting off her own tongue was likely the first one to die. This looks like the starting point to all of it.”

~

Crawford was raging in his office; his voice echoing through the penthouse. His speech was swinging violently between Japanese and English with the occasional bit of German thrown in. Schuldig had fucked up, fucked up very badly. Somewhere along the way he had managed to misplace one of the empty vials of elixir. 

This rather important little tidbit of information was not discovered until later that morning after Schuldig had woken up from his night out on the town with Farfarello. He had opened the small case where he had replaced all the vials and one was missing. For several frantic minutes the redheaded German had torn apart his room thinking it had maybe fallen from his suit pocket when he changed.

His searching resulted in no vial though. For half a second he considered not telling Crawford then decided that the repercussions should he find out on his own would be far worse. The verbal lashing he was receiving now was mild compared to what Crawford was capable of. Schuldig was not afraid of the American by any means but he certainly did not want to get too far on his bad side. While Crawford went on Schuldig wracked his brain as to where he could have lost that vial. He was more pissed at himself than anything for making such a stupid mistake. He had definitely let his ego get the better of him yesterday and now he was paying the price for it.

Farfarello was in the corner of the room up against the wall. He was not about to get between the American and the German when there was threats of potential punishments. He certainly did not want to end up in his straight jacket again already. Besides none of the damn mess was his fault anyway but when Crawford was angry he had a tendency to lash out at the nearest possible victim. 

“You have got to get out there and find that damn vial!” Crawford yelled. “If the wrong people get their hands on it, it could blow this thing wide open!” He points an accusing finger at Schuldig. “There have been cops all over that area that are not bought off, and who knows who else might be snooping around either.”  
Schuldig sighed. “Alright, I get the point.” His voice held an annoyed edge to it and he brought a hand up to his temple where a headache was starting to build. That had always been one of the drawbacks to his abilities, as long as he was the one in control and causing or directing the emotions it was wonderful. If someone however were directing harsh emotions at him it tended to put a strain on his mind, giving him a wicked headache.

“I’ll go look for the fucking thing!” He eyed Crawford for a moment breathing heavily. It was not in his nature to admit that he was wrong or at fault for something. He figured there was little point in either agreeing or arguing the situation. It was one of the few instances he did not try to push people’s buttons though.

“Farfarello, come on.” He jerked his head at the Irishman who had been watching the whole thing go down. Two pairs of eyes would be better than one and Schuldig knew that Nagi would refuse to help, probably saying something along the lines of ‘Clean up your own damn mess.’ The little brat was probably glued to his computer anyway.

Farfarello immediately pushed himself off the wall where he stood and walked to the door to follow Schuldig out. He was not necessarily taking an order from Schuldig but any excuse to get out of the line of Crawford’s fire was good enough for him.

“Take care of any worms if you see them hanging about where they don’t belong.” Crawford calls after them as they leave. “I want you to tie up any possible lose ends.”

The Irishman looked to Schuldig. “He’s steamed. Do you know where you might have lost this stupid thing?” He asks getting into their private elevator. Once they made it down to Schuldig’s car he leaned back in the passenger seat. “What worms could he be talking about?” A devilish grin crossed his face as he started thinking about it.

Schuldig is much quieter than usual, lost in his own thoughts. He finally raised those icy blue eyes to look at Farfarello. “It may have slipped out of my pocket at the second scene; the restaurant.” He said thoughtfully, his voice low. “I don’t know what Crawford meant. Probably just take care of any cops that might be snooping around.” Shrugging he pulled out of the parking garage and into night time traffic. If he was wrong and the vial was not at the restaurant they would probably be out all night looking for it.

“He knows something. Something he has been keeping from us.” Farfarello said. “I’m sure it’s something he fears would be a major distraction.” Farfarello did have moments of clarity in that regard, but he also had spent a lot of time watching the American while he was recovering. “Though I don’t see the point if he thinks we’ll find out looking for your mistake.” He cackles.

“I think so as well. He’s been more tense than normal lately and that’s saying a lot. I had just attributed it to him wanting to be on top of things but now I’m not so sure.” Schuldig maneuvered his beast of a car through the city with ease, he really did love being behind the wheel of such a powerful machine.

“He’s pretty desperate. If we don’t find that vial the whole operation could blow up in our faces.” Schuldig mentally chastised himself again. “Crawford probably doesn’t care at this point just so long as we cover our asses.” It would certainly look bad on them if they screwed things up this early in the game.

A few minutes later they had reached their destination. With the restaurant being closed and obviously no valet Schuldig had to find alternative parking. He disliked moving through the more crowded streets of the area. Too many people equaled too many thoughts. He was already pretty agitated so that made it harder to keep things out. Plus there was Farfarello to consider. Even though Shinjuku often teamed with foreigners the German and Irishman still stuck out like sore thumbs. Fortunately they only had a few blocks to navigate before arriving at their intended destination.

Farfarello walked silently beside Schuldig for the last block, his gaze going over those that they passed. Finally he elbowed Schuldig once lightly in the ribs. “Do you sense any minds that we need to silence? I hope we find that vial. I don’t want to be out with these sheep for too long.” He scowled. Sometimes crowded places got the Irishman unsettled.

They finally came up to the building and maneuvered down the street next to it. Schuldig was looking for a place for them to get in. Even a high window would be no problem for either, both were unnaturally fast and could jump quite an impressive height. He eventually spied a window with a decent ledge on the second floor.

Schuldig sighed impatiently but it was directed at himself, not Farfarello. “Nothing yet,” he paused trying to focus, “too much background noise.” 

The German took a step back then propelled himself upward. The speed with which he left the ground always made his stomach flutter a bit. Landing lightly on the window ledge he pushed the paned glass up. The entrance led into a darkened hallway. He turned and looked down reaching his hand out for Farfarello.

Farfarello made a leap as well, grabbing Schuldig’s hand letting the German hoist him up. He went through the window, dropping down and landing in the hallway. He looked up to Schuldig nodding for him to follow; he stops suddenly freezing completely still. The Irishman even held his breath to listen better. ‘I hear whispers… someone is here.’ He thought to himself, knowing Schuldig would pick up on his thoughts.

~

“Were there any reports of the others having seizures before they started...killing people?” Ken did not remember reading anything about that in the newspaper report. This woman might have been a special case though. Until they got some analysis done and those reports decoded they would just have to make speculation. Ken stopped suddenly his ears picking up on a faint thump. He strained to listen but other than Aya moving quietly about there was nothing else. The brunette was now paying more attention to their surroundings but wrote the sound off as possible street noise.

If there was a sound inside the building, Aya missed it. He was really focused on what he was doing. “This is the only noted case for a seizure. I’m assuming she’s the only one.” He says standing up again, looking over the debris. “We are getting nowhere fast. I guess at least we have one possible sample so far.” He says his voice hushed. He glanced at Ken, the man seemed intent on something. 

Schuldig lightly touched down from the window sill, the carpet beneath his feet muffling his descent. ‘Whispers?’ He heard the thoughts of Farfarello choosing to open his mind up some so they could communicate without speech. Now that they were not in a crowd it was much easier for the German to focus. He closed his eyes, slowly reaching out with his mind. The velvet tendrils of his consciousness spread throughout the building. On the floor below he felt a faint pressure. There was definitely someone in the building. ‘Slowly Farfarello. Let’s see who we are dealing with.’ If it were a night patrol from the police they would be easy to take care of. Schuldig felt a shudder of excitement run through him. They would have to dispatch whoever it was quickly but it would at least give Farfarello another outlet. The man from last night had been somewhat of a disappointment; expiring quicker than the Irishman would have liked. 

Farfarello crept down the hall to the stairs, kneeling down for a moment and listening. He then quickly descended, the man moved like a cat making no sound. The Irishman was stalking his prey; already in the frame of mind to have his fun. Standing up at the bottom of the stairs he flattened against the wall peering out into the front dining area. He could see two people in the darkness and his stomach fluttered a bit with excitement. They did not look like cops… they looked…. familiar…. a wide grin spread across his face when he saw one of the men stand up into better view. ‘Schuldig…. I think… that is Fujimiya!’ His whole body tensed up like he was ready to pounce.

Ken turned back to Aya. “Did you hear something?” For some reason the hair on the back of his neck was standing up. His blue green eyes scanned the darkened dining room. “Must be from outside.” He shrugged. “Well we’ve got two more sites to cover before we head back. We better get going.”

Aya was on edge now. “I just got a nasty feeling. Yes, let’s leave.” He put a hand on Kens shoulder. “I’m not finding what we need here anyway.” He stopped, edging toward the view of the camera. “What’s this?” He picked up an odd vial that was covered in blood spatter. 

The German watched as his companion moved gracefully down the steps. For as much chaos and violence that ran through Farfarello he could almost swing the exact opposite at times and become as calm and focused as a professional dancer. His sinewy muscles would contract under the scarred skin, his breathing becoming deep and measured. 

Schuldig was about halfway down the stairs when Farfarello’s voice entered his mind again. His breath caught short for a moment and then a sly smile split his lips. It may not turn out to be such a shabby night after all. ‘So they’re alive? Are you sure Farfarello?’ At this point the chance of the two men being Weiß was very high. Farfarello rarely misidentified people. 

He edged the rest of the way down the stairs to slide in behind the other man, his own heart beating a rather exciting rhythm in his chest. This was just too good to be true.

Farfarello nodded silently. ‘Your pet is so exotic looking, impossible to miss him.’ He grinned wickedly, staring intently until the second form came into clear enough view. His eye went wide and it was almost like you could see his hair standing up on his head. That was Ken… Ken was with him. His mind suddenly exploded with thoughts and excitement, which probably alarmed the German who was in close quarters with his mind. His hand gripped the door frame that he hid behind causing the wood to creak a bit under the strain, certainly catching both men’s attention in the other room. 

Schuldig’s ego swelled a bit. He liked the idea of Farfarello associating Fujimiya as his pet. It sent a shiver of anticipation through him. Suddenly the German was almost physically knocked back. Something inside Farfarelllo’s mind had gone off like a bomb and he staggered catching himself against the wall. 

Before Schuldig could react, Farfarello suddenly darted out into the room impossibly fast. He plowed right into Ken, arms around his middle in a full tackle, taking the brunette down harshly to the floor. Aya did not even have a chance to respond it was all so sudden.

“Scheiße!” Schuldig cursed before heading out into the room. That was not the way he had wanted things to go. Just as he entered he saw Farfarello hit Ken like a ton of bricks. There was a sharp cracking sound as Ken’s head bounced off the floor. Schuldig’s eye flickered to the red headed assassin who was stunned momentarily by the sudden violence of Farfarello’s entrance. He would have to take him now before he could have time to recover.

Ken’s head smacked the floor and he saw stars. It felt like he had been hit by a truck and all the air had been knocked out of his lungs. He gasped trying to fill the voided space, desperately trying to throw whoever had tackled him off. Blindly he closed his fist the blades shooting out from the knuckles of his gloves. He swung upwards at his attacker but there was nowhere near the force behind it that he normally had. The blades connected with flesh but only barely and he felt hot drops of blood hit his face. Whoever he had hit it did not seem to faze them. Ken squinted trashing his legs beneath him trying to buck the other off. Slowly the face of his attacker came into view. The brunette froze, his blood turning to ice as he stared into one golden yellow eye.

Farfarello stared down at Ken with a manic grin on his face, his shoulder had caught Ken’s blow and he did not even seem to notice at all. He grabbed Ken’s wrist and bent it at a sharp angle, removing those claws and keeping them at bay. He put a foot down between the brunettes legs and stood sharply, dragging Ken to his feet then turning him away putting an arm around his throat and getting him in a choke hold. Farfarello was so fast in his movements that Aya could barely keep track. 

“Ken!” Aya drew his sword, trying to bounce back from the surprise attack. He felt a pit in his stomach knowing Ken’s nightmares had just become a terrible reality. This surprise attack had left him extremely vulnerable, at least that’s the way he felt. He had never seen Farfarello alone, his eyes darted about to try and find anyone else but he could not seem to collect himself. His concern for Ken was thrust into his mind as a priority. 

The brunette cried out as his wrist was forcefully bent backwards, a grimace setting his mouth hard. The force of Farfarello whipping him around almost knocked the breath out of him again. He felt his back hit the Irishman’s hard chest. The impact had caused Ken to open up the split in his lip and blood dribbled freely down his chin. His head was tilted back at an uncomfortable angle the crook of Farfarello’s elbow squeezing against his throat. Ken felt his chest grow tight and he was having trouble taking in air. His hands flew up to pry at the other man’s grip but the arm locked about him was like iron. “Aya…” he managed to choke out in a panicked voice.

Schuldig thought it was strange that Fujimiya was taking this long to recover. Even though the redhead did not possess any special talents he was incredibly fast with his weapon of choice. He seemed almost stunned though and the German was picking up a strange sensation from the other man. He did not waste too much time thinking on it however. 

Coming from the shadows he quickly closed in behind Aya pulling a similar move like Farfarello’s. One arm quickly locked around the red head’s throat the other griping the wrist the assassin held his katana in. Schuldig twisted hard causing Aya to lose his grip. Shion clattered to the floor lying impotent at Aya’s feet.

“Kuso….” Aya snarled between clenched teeth as he felt the German’s arm close around him. Hearing Shion rattle to the floor sent a wave of frustration through him, but he still had the sheath in the other hand and tried to swing it back to hit Schuldig in the face. He did not have the right leverage for it but he made the vain attempt regardless. He was not the one to go down without a fight. Aya’s mind was spinning, his fear and worry for Ken rising above even his own fate. 

Farfarello was stepping back dragging Ken with him as he moved across the wide windows of the dining area. Almost like a predator taking its meal somewhere secluded to eat. He cackled into Ken’s ear. “Oh, oh how I had hoped you lived.” His words dripped venom as he spoke. 

Schuldig easily avoided Aya’s pathetic attempt to hit him in the face. He simply twisted harder on Aya’s arm bringing him to his knees. “Ah, ah, ah.” Schuldig’s voice was scolding. “You know better.” He flicked his head sending ginger colored bangs out of his eyes. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you had the tenacity to live.” He leaned in close to Aya’s neck half kneeling himself now. The only thing Schuldig had ever gotten from the redhead was rage. It was like Fujimiya only had one emotion but something was different now. He breathed in deeply appreciating the smell of Aya’s fear.

He chanced a glance at Farfarello. “Don’t take him too far. This is not the place for it.” Schuldig hoped the Irishman would listen. Once he really started in on Ken there would not be much the German could do about it. They needed to move to a more secure location. He applied more pressure to Aya’s throat cutting off his air supply just a little bit more.

Aya made a choking sound, his hand releasing the sheath to Shion and flying up to grab at the German’s arm to pull at it but he could feel the world getting hazy, his vision spinning and blurring. It was not long before Aya lost consciousness from the pressure the German was putting on his throat; his mind starved of oxygen. 

Farfarello was doing much the same, after being told not to go too far he stopped and tightened his arm on Ken’s neck, tipping the brunettes head back a bit with his free hand. “Go to sleep… shhh...” he certainly had Ken at an awkward angle, one hand pinned behind his back and the choke hold. Farfarello was not going to relent. 

Ken’s breath was coming in short shallow gasps. He twisted and writhed against the other man. With his strength there should have been no way Farfarello could overpower him with his smaller frame. Still the Irishman’s grip did not falter. Frustrated tears welled up in his eyes and he squeezed them shut tightly. He was starting to shake his body going into shock. 

“What should we do … Schuldig?“ Farfarello asked, his voice sounding as if he were completely high on something. It was higher pitched just a bit and somewhat erratic. 

Schuldig released the redhead, gently guiding him to the floor. He moved to the Katana and quickly sheathed it. Upon bending down he noticed the vial not far from Aya’s hand. He must have picked it up shortly before Farfarello had interrupted them. A big grin swept across Schuldig’s face. Things were certainly looking up indeed. He pocketed the vial making sure the button on it was closed firmly keeping it safely inside.

“We’ll take them to the hotel.” The words slipped out of his mouth silkily. The place afforded them much privacy and was removed enough from the surrounding buildings that any loud noises would not be noticed. There were still quite a few hours before dawn and Schuldig liked the idea of making Crawford wait, now that he had the solution to his problem. He hoisted the redhead over his shoulder. “Come on Farfarello, bring your prize.” The German headed towards the kitchen, Shion in its sheath gripped tight on the side that was not supporting Aya. It would do no good to leave it behind for the police to discover.

Farfarello grabbed Ken’s shoulder, giving him a quick spin, and then planted a hard punch to the brunettes gut for good measure. Picking him up he carried him quickly out the back. He snatched up a box of zip ties from one of the shelves, laying Ken down and zip tying his hands behind his back. “Go get the car, I’ll keep an eye on them. Can’t have anyone seeing us.”

He reached up to Ken’s chin wiping at the blood from his split lip with his thumb, then brought his hand to his lips licking it off. “Oh Ken, I never forgot about you…” he laughs to himself, “I know you haven’t forgotten me.” He handed the zip ties to Schuldig so the German could tie Aya’s wrists before he went to get the car.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter bounces back and forth between characters. I'm not overly happy with the formatting but I'm tired of staring at it.

Schuldig had some reservations about leaving both of the men unsupervised with Farfarello but he hoped the Irishman would be so fixated on Ken he would leave Aya pretty much alone. He worked quickly, binding the redhead with deft hands. “Just a little while longer Farfarello.” The German could feel the intense excitement radiating off of his companion like a heatwave.

Straightening the collar on his shirt the German exited in much the same way the Weiß boys had gotten in. As he strolled back to the car he pulled a cigarette from the pack in the inside pocket of his jacket. He lit it and took a long drag letting the calming effects of the smoke work on him. In reality he was just about as giddy as Farfarello was. Even though he did not have the same kind of fixation he definitely was looking forward to his time with Aya Fujimiya. The redhead at one point had been something of a special interest of his and now there seemed to be much more to explore. Something had definitely changed in him.

There were a couple of girls outside a bar about a block from where Schuldig had parked. They were outside smoking enjoying the mild spring evening. Short skirts and high heels showed off shapely legs. Schuldig could feel their eyes on him the instant he turned the corner. He winked at them as he walked past and their girlish giggles sounded like silver bells in the night air. The German was in one hell of a good mood.

Farfarello’s attention was mostly on Ken of course, but he would glance at the redhead from time to time. He knew that the swordsman was Schuldig’s focus so he would not dare lay a hand on him unless told otherwise. That was fine with Farfarello though. He wanted to lock the doors, turn Ken loose and fight him. The silver haired man knew that he could take more of a beating than Ken but that did not stop it from being fun. “I knew you’d survive. I would have been so disappointed otherwise.” He grinned maliciously in the dark, practically vibrating with excitement. He waited rather impatiently for Schuldig to pull around with the car.

A few moments later Schuldig parked and left the car running. He re-entered the building being careful of the cameras and returned to the room Farfarello was waiting in. “Let’s go.” Picking up Aya like he weighed nothing he walked out to the car and deposited him in the back seat. He watched as the assassin’s head lolled backwards exposing his pale throat and Schuldig could not help but lick his lips. As Farfarello was getting Ken settled the German dropped Shion into the trunk. “You want to take the cat’s claws away?” He did not figure Farfarello would but he asked anyway.

Farfarello dropped Ken in the back seat, being a bit less gentle about it than Schuldig. “Nah. I’m going to let him keep them; I want to fight him some.” He jumped into the passenger’s seat, almost giddy. “We are going to play. Won’t be any fun without the claws.” The Irishman smiled licking his lips. He turned in the seat a little to look back at their two passed out captives. “Here I thought today was going to turn out rotten.” 

The German closed the trunk and then slid into the driver’s seat. Soft grey leather hugging his body as the seat conformed to him. “Fair enough.” He looked over and saw how excited Farfarello was. It must be like Christmas to the Irishman. As strange as it was it made Schuldig glad to see the other man so amped up. This turn of events might help to bring Farfarello back up to full swing. He secretly thought the other had been a little depressed. Maybe torturing and finally killing Ken Hidaka would satiate the need Farfarello had so bad. Schuldig did not pretend to understand why the other was so obsessed with the brown haired assassin but apparently Ken filled some sort of need.

Those icy blue eyes moved up to the rear view mirror and he saw Aya again. It made his heart beat just a little faster. Aside from mind fucking him he was not sure what else he would do to the redhead. It could take days for Schuldig to drag everything out of that mind of his. He had plenty of time to think it over on the drive.

The four of them were soon headed towards the abandoned hotel. Had anyone glanced into the car they would have simply thought they were all friends who had decided to go out drinking and the two in the backseat just had not been able to hold their liquor. The two assassins were slumped together and looked like they were merely having a peaceful little nap.

Farfarello turned back around in his seat. “They are afraid of us. Kind of a powerful feeling to make men like them crumple to their knees.” He laughed sliding his butt down in the seat a bit and putting one foot up on the dash. Schuldig had gotten onto him a few times for putting his feet on the interior of his car, but right now Farfarello was just too excited to care. 

It was getting darker the farther they went, less streetlights, fewer people. Once the hotel came into view Farfarello sat up straight again. The second the car came to a stop Farfarello jumped out then flung open the back door, grabbing his prize and throwing him over his shoulder. He trotted through the front entrance and down a hallway to one of the rooms pushing the door open then dropping Ken unceremoniously down in a corner.

Schuldig arched a brow as Farfarello practically pranced off with his prize. The hotel was a great location having only closed down about 10 months ago. It apparently had been abandoned. The interior was still in fairly good condition and it was in a rather sparsely populated area. Whoever had thought building out here was a good idea certainly was not thinking very straight at the time. It did not matter though, the German was grateful for the opportunity to make use of the place.

He reached into the back seat and pulled Aya out. Instead of throwing the man over his shoulder again he carried him in his arms. Farfarello may have chosen just any old room but Schuldig had more specific tastes. Walking with Aya to the stairwell he proceeded up to the top floor. The climb up seven flights of stairs did not even wind him and he kicked open the door to the floor with great gusto. He was headed to the honeymoon suite.

Aya started to come around as Schuldig carried him down the hall of the upper floor. He groaned and slowly moved his head a little trying to get his bearings. “Ken?” His voice was cracked a bit and soft, he felt like shit. The redhead was vaguely away of the soft fabric of Schuldig’s suit jacket pressed against his cheek. 

Farfarello sat hunched down in front of Ken waiting for him to start to come back into consciousness. The Irishman would be the first thing the poor brunette would see when he came around. That golden eye looked the other up and down. Ken was bigger, must have been working out a lot. This would be exciting!

The first thing that Ken was aware of was the pounding in his head. The ‘whoosh, whoosh’ sound of the blood in his ears sounded like the crashing of waves. “Hmmm.” He squinted his eyes tightly shut trying to will away the pain. Something was wrong but he just could not remember quite what it was. He tried to move his arms but they were somehow stuck. “Aya...what’s going on?” He managed to mumble out through his mangled lips.

Farfarello cackled, grabbed Kens jaw in an iron grip and jerked his head up to look him dead in the face. “Your precious companion isn’t here.” He gives his head a little shake like he was scolding a child. “Clumsy… you both were quite clumsy. So easy to catch. Surprised to see you alive.”

Schuldig smiled; oh this was going to be good. “Careful now, you’re going to have a splitting headache.” He reached the end of the hall and bumped the door open with his knee. The honeymoon suite was large and luxurious. Despite the fine layer of dust everything looked just like it had when the hotel had been up and running.

Schuldig deposited Aya on the extra-large king size bed. He had not removed the zip ties yet so he did not worry about Aya waking up and trying to bolt. Walking into the next room where there was a kitchenette and sitting area he picked up a chair and brought it back to sit in front of the bed. Schuldig flipped it around and straddled it, his long legs spread out on either side. Slowly he slipped off his coat and grabbed another smoke. He really wanted to enjoy watching Aya wake up. 

Aya slowly cracked open his amethyst eyes and looked around. What happened? The room did not look familiar. Slowly his gaze settled on Schuldig and even in his hazy mind his attention snapped to red alert, his breathing elevated sharply. “Where’s Ken?” He tried to sit up but found his arms to be tied behind his back, definitely making things more difficult.

Ken immediately tried to pull away from Farfarello’s grip. He averted his eyes not able to hold the mad man’s gaze. ‘Shit.’ Realizing that his hands were bound made his heart jump in his chest; he was not even listening to what the other man was saying. Thoughts raced through his mind. ‘Have to get out, have to get out.’ He could feel the fear squeezing the breath from him. Ken jerked backwards, somehow managing to break free of Farfarello’s hold on him. Bringing his knees up to his chest he rocked back and slammed both his feet into the Irishman’s chest.

Farfarello fell back hitting the floor with a thump, but kept with the momentum doing a handspring back up to standing. He walked toward him again. “So strong,” his mouth contorted in a rictus like grin. “This will be so much fun!” He grabbed Ken by one ankle and drug him across the floor a bit before jumping and sitting on his chest staring down at him. “Now… do I let you have a fighting chance…. or do I just make you scream?” His grin was impossibly wide and rather frightening.

Schuldig just leaned back slightly taking a drag off the cigarette then flicked the ash onto the floor. “So concerned with Ken all of a sudden?” He cocked his head to the side, long tendrils of his orange hair falling over his shoulder. Part of him just wanted to completely break the man’s psyche open then and there. But he held himself back. It would be much more rewarding to drag things out of the man slowly. He smiled dangerously. “He and Farfarello are having a bit of alone time right now.” Schuldig could not wait to see the redhead’s reaction to that. 

Aya kept silent listening to Schuldig, and when he heard Farfarello’s name he remembered suddenly Ken being tackled to the ground. The sound of Ken’s skull hitting the floor resounded in his mind and he suddenly felt a little sick. Aya feared for Ken way more than himself. He kicked a leg out to use the momentum to get himself sitting, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. 

Ken was starting to shake again his whole body vibrating. With the weight of Farfarello sitting on his chest he felt like he was being crushed. Farfarello was right; Ken was pretty much completely helpless with his hands bound behind his back. If the Irishman was feeling generous he would give Ken his freedom. Whether or not the brunette could actually defend himself at this point was something to be questioned though. His brain was starting to shut down sending him right into fight or flight mode. He struggled uselessly under the other’s weight.

Farfarello seemed to be weighing his options. He did have more zip ties so if he set Ken free then wanted to tie him up again he could. He stood up a little to flip Ken over. “Are you too scared to fight? I feel your fear. I can see it in your body.” He pulled out a knife and cut the zip ties. “Can you do anything against your fate? Do you think your God will help you now?” He leaned in close to Ken’s ear. “No one is here to help you. Schuldig certainly won’t be as kind I and let the redhead have his weapon.” He put a booted foot on Kens back. “You should be at least grateful for this…”

The German continued to watch him noting how even impaired the redhead could move with some grace. He was fascinating to watch. Slowly Schuldig began applying pressure to Aya’s mind. He was really just testing the waters so to speak at this point, trying to get a rise out of the assassin. “So tell me,” he paused for another drag, “are you and Ken the only ones left? Or did the other two make it out as well?”

Aya clenched his jaw, standing up struggling with the zip tie on his wrists. “Go fuck yourself,” was his only response to Schuldig. He was quick but not as quick as the German, he knew that. Aya had to do something though. He kicked out with his foot at Schuldig where the German sat at the foot of the bed; going for a face shot.

Suddenly the image of Schuldig coming up behind Aya popped into Ken’s head. The second he was cut free he began to push against the foot holding him down. There was so much adrenaline pumping through Ken’s body he thought his heart might explode. “Where is he?” His voice is suddenly not so frightened sounding. The prospect of Aya being in some real danger smothered the fear for a moment. His arms were full of pins and needles but he quickly got them under himself and pushed up hard from the floor. Every muscle in Ken’s body flexed and he managed to get Farfarello off balance for just a second, just enough time to roll to the side and get to his feet. He squeezed both fists shut and those long metal claws came out. He could not lie to himself. He was afraid, so very afraid but he tried to keep the image of Aya in his mind. He had to get to Aya somehow; they were both dead on their own.

Farfarello regained his balance pretty quickly, “C’mon. Fight me. Don’t tell me you are a coward?” He laughed standing on one foot and then the other, taunting the brunette. He suddenly lunged at him lightning fast, grabbing Ken by the face and shoving his head through a nearby wall. “Gotta be faster than that!” Crumbling drywall rained down around them sending dust through the darkened room.

Schuldig sighed and leaned back creating just a few inches of space between his face and Aya’s boot. That move was going to cost the redhead as it threw him off balance. The German moved suddenly right up into his face, long fingers wrapped around his throat. “Maybe I’d rather fuck you.” He pushed Aya back down onto the bed hard. Whether or not Schuldig was speaking literally or figuratively he left for Aya to decide.

Aya tilted his chin upward a bit as Schuldig grabbed his throat, his body frozen in place as he held perfectly still. He gave a bit of a cough as Schuldig shoved him backwards, falling on the bed with a light bounce as he hit it. He narrowed his eyes at the German, unsure how to take his words either but no matter how Schuldig meant it he knew it was bad news. “I don’t give a shit what you do to me, just let Ken go.” He knew those words would fall on deaf ears, but it was his tough guy front he was immediately putting up to protect himself from his own fears.

Farfarello was so quick Ken lost track of him before he was suddenly slammed into the wall. His knees went weak on him from the impact and he dropped to the floor. At this rate the Irishman was going to cause some serious head trauma. Ken wobbled his vision blurry. He felt like Farfarello was just playing with him. Like some cat who had caught a mouse. The brunette coughed and spat blood onto the floor. He had bitten his tongue pretty good too. It was like the tower all over again only this time he doubted the place would come crashing down around them. “Fuck.” The word came out on a whisper of breath.

Farfarello crossed his arms over his chest. “All that obvious training you have done, and it seems I still need to be easy on you. It’s okay; we have a lot of time. Schuldig I’m sure wants to have plenty of time with his pet.” He grabbed Kens arm and drug him forward, then spun him a little letting go to send Ken into another wall. “I’ve just never been able to get you out of my mind, you see even with this pathetic display… you still put up more of a fight than anyone else ever has.”

Crossing his arms over his chest Schuldig studied the young man on the bed. “You’re so eager to protect your friend.” His eyes narrowed and he pushed a little deeper almost breaking the barrier of the redhead’s consciousness. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see taking away Farfarello’s toy would be bad for my own health and to be frank, I care about my own health very much.” He set one knee on the bed between Aya’s legs leaning forward slightly. “Also, I think you’re lying. I think you care very much what I might do to you. Don’t think you can just shut down and go numb either. I’ll find you inside that head of yours so quick you won’t know what to do with yourself.”

Aya was lying. He was very much afraid, and fear was not something he dealt with well. He was shutting off his emotions but Schuldig was right, it would not take much for the German to bring it all to the surface. Though at the same time he was still more afraid for Ken, how the man had a meltdown just the other day over Farfarello. “Get out of my head.” He spat at Schuldig.

Ken collapsed to the floor after hitting the other wall. He felt himself starting to lose consciousness again. “Damnit” He struggled hard against the blackness creeping in on him. Aya, he had to find Aya! Taking a deep breath his head started to clear a bit. He knew that Farfarello would relentlessly torture him until he either passed out of stopped breathing. If he could just somehow predict the Irishman’s next movements he may be able to at least land a hit. All he had to do was incapacitate the man enough to get away and look for Aya. “Heh,heh…” Ken gave a little disturbed laugh his eyes focused upon Farfarello’s face. He hated that face, hated the man so much for making him feel so powerless. Shaking legs managed to push him up from the floor. A small trickle of blood ran down the side of Ken’s face as he leaned against the wall.

Farfarello tilted his head a moment, watching the other try to collect himself. “Don’t worry I won’t kill you, yet. If you pass out I’ll wait for you to wake up. Are you going to try and face me with that battered body? How delicious.” He stalked up to Ken throwing a punch right passed his head and into the wall, grabbing one of Ken’s hands again Farfarello twisted his wrist. “I gotta bide my time, Schuldig needs time, I don’t want to get too bored.”

Schuldig leaned farther down placing one hand by the side of Aya’s hip. “Then answer my questions.” His blue eyes searched the other’s face memorizing every angle of anguish. “You seem different. You’re emotions have a different flavor. All that cold, raw rage isn’t there anymore.” The German could not resist pushing into Aya’s mind again. He was not pulling things out yet or even looking but was almost teasing the other with what he could do. Schuldig relished the fear that was emanating from the redhead beneath him.

Aya could sense him pushing into his mind, digging around in it, and he closed his eyes. He wished he knew of a way to keep the man out, but he was not very well versed in the world of mental combat. “I’m not telling you anything. You’ll have to find it yourself.” He growled, lifting one leg to try and knee the other with a swift hard motion. 

Ken grunted as Farfarello twisted his wrist almost losing his balance again. He kept his eyes locked on the other trying to bring up the anger, trying to feed off of it so it could give him strength. The brunette pulled back his free arm and rammed his fist as hard as he could into the other’s shoulder. His fist made contact but was slightly off only one claw of the baghnuk sinking into the flesh of Farfarello’s upper arm. Ken was panting heavily with the effort. He knew the Irishman felt no pain but there was something satisfying about drawing blood. “Get the fuck away from me.” He threw his body weight forward sending them both to the floor.

Farfarello grinned, not even flinching when that claw buried itself into his shoulder. He could feel Ken shifting his weight falling with him and rolling. He twisted Ken’s arm and jerked as hard as he could, dislocating the joint. Half way under Ken now he threw a leg over him to keep him from getting up; though he was sure the brunette was going to be a bit paralyzed after that dislocation.

Schuldig pushed Aya’s knee away as though it were nothing, spreading the redhead’s legs farther apart in the process. He moved forward, his own knee making contact with the inside of the other’s thigh. “Have it your way then.” The German reached down and grabbed Aya by the throat again sliding him higher up on to the bed. He then straddled his legs keeping them pinned down. “Let’s see what you’re hiding in there.” Schuldig sounded a bit breathless his voice taking on a husky edge to it. Instead of pushing slowly this time he mentally punched into Aya’s mind bringing on an instant migraine like pain.

Aya ground his teeth, squirming around as he was shoved farther up the bed by the throat, “Get the fuck off of me!” He snapped trying to tip the other off, but when Schuldig made good on his promise and dove right into his mind the pain caused him to cry out loud. He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed again feeling as if the room was spinning around him.

Ken heard the crunch of his shoulder and felt bile rise up in the back of this throat. His head swam with the pain that radiated through his chest and back. Hot tears welled up in his eyes and he sunk his head to the floor trying to catch his breath. He was completely screwed, one arm now being useless and the other hand still stuck in Farfarello’s shoulder. As it was he could not even get up, Farfarello was coiled about him like a snake.

Farfarello finally moved a bit, sliding to the side to get that claw out of his shoulder then rolled up and over to sit on Ken’s back. Blood dripped down his arm and onto the floor and Ken. “Not your best move of the night. You sure are staying conscious for a long time. So strong…” He sat still on his back for a bit, letting Ken take a breather. Watching the man in so much pain was a wonderful sight to him.

Schuldig closed his eyes for a moment and bit into his lower lip savoring the sound of that scream. He leaned in closer breathing in Aya’s ear. “That was beautiful. If I could make you scream like that forever I would but it would ruin your pretty voice.” He began sifting through Aya’s mind looking for any juicy tidbits he could find. He did not have to search far. An image of the night Aya and Ken had spent together flashed before Schuldig. He sat back slightly easing up on the pressure in Aya’s head. “You and Hidaka? Really?” He raised his eyebrows. “And here I thought you were pretty frigid. I guess I was mistaken.” Schuldig could feel himself growing hard, Aya’s pain was definitely turning him on.

Aya shook his head, his breath coming in quick and shallow while he tried to regain himself. Finally he opened his eyes to glare at the man sitting over him. “Piss off.” He managed to choke out, taking a long deep breath afterwards. He tried to roll onto his side, his eyes darting about the room for anything that might help him out. 

Ken could feel himself giving up. Maybe it would be better to just slip into unconsciousness for a while. His head was so fuzzy and he was in so much pain. “Aya...I’m sorry. I wasn’t strong enough. I can’t…” Ken’s voice was ragged. His forehead was resting on the floor the carpet soft against his face. It would be so easy to just slip away. He wanted nothing more than to just close his eyes. He was so tired.

Farfarello just sat there and watched him fight for consciousness. “You look good in red… but I’m sure your pal looks better in it. Just sleep little man. I’ll be here when you wake up…or maybe I won’t… how can you tell? I can’t decide if I want you dead or not.” He knew Ken probably was too out of it to care what he was saying anymore but there were times when Farfarello liked to hear the sound of his own voice.

Schuldig grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. “Stop struggling. You’re only making it worse.” He looks thoughtful. “It makes sense now, why your thoughts and emotions tasted different. You’ve given yourself a terrible weakness Aya.” He leaned forward again his lips inches from the redhead’s pale pink mouth. “You know, I’m sure Farfarello is putting him in exquisite pain right now.” In fact Schuldig did have a pretty good idea what was going on. He could feel Farfarello’s excitement from the lower floor.

Aya frowned, his brows furrowing deeply. “I know...I know…” He said again, as if trying to push it from his mind. He knew what Ken was going through; he had a good enough imagination. It was killing him inside. If Ken lived he would be in an awful state… if he did not live… well that he knew would leave himself in a terrible state. He closed his eyes a moment. He felt like they had been clumsy, they should have been more careful. Maybe if he had thought about Ken sighting Schuldig a little more, they would have been more cautious. Suddenly guilt welled up in his mind, his chest feeling tight.

Ken was out for the count, the pain and blackness swallowing him. It would be tough to tell when he would regain consciousness. He should have been in a hospital, who knew how bad his concussion was and his shoulder would definitely need to be put back in the socket. The man was in really bad shape. He would probably live but he would not necessarily be the same. Farfarello had done a good job breaking him, maybe too good of a job.

Farfarello sat back leaning against the wall, watching Ken's motionless form lay there on the floor. He almost felt like patting himself on the back. This night proved to be feeding Farfarello’s desire perfectly. He would be satiated for quite some time. 

Schuldig arched his back letting his long hair caress his spine. He could not believe how easy it was. Drinking in Aya’s misery was the best thing he’d had in a long time. He sat back up placing his hand on the redhead’s chest. “How long? Just a few days right? Ah, new love at that. The two of you must be all over each other.” Schuldig himself could never profess to having been in love. It just was not in his nature but he knew how these things worked. The obsession, not being able to get the other person out of your thoughts, he was surprised the redhead had not had it written all over his face. They could not have picked a better time to run into these two. “Let’s see what else is in there.” He pushed back into Aya’s mind with as much force as he could manage.

Aya shook his head. Somehow he felt like this was his fault. He should have reacted faster, done something different. He found some happiness and it was going to be taken away from him so quickly. His mind was swimming with guilt, fear, what ifs. Suddenly he screamed again as Schuldig dove back into his mind. He would be clawing at his own head if his arms were free, unable to do anything but rock a bit and twist his upper body this way and that.

Schuldig pushed in deeper loving the feeling of Aya thrashing about beneath him. He went farther back into Aya’s past gleaning bits and pieces of information. Taking the delicate morsels and savoring every range of emotion the redhead had to offer. The man was a fucking buffet! So much angst, grief and then now the burgeoning new hope. It was so amazing to tear it all down. Schuldig paused momentarily at a point in Aya’s past that was very deeply guarded. He was staring at a tall masonry block wall the other had put up to block this portion of his life off. “Now what could be behind this?”

Aya was fighting with whether to scream or breath. He finally opened his eyes to stare at Schuldig. “Get The Fuck Out.” He demanded. “Get the fuck off me!” His voice was almost frantic. He had a feeling what Schuldig had found and he wanted no part of him knowing about that part of his life. 

Once Ken had finally passed out Farfarello had lost interest and just left him face down in the room. He had made his way out to the car, having gotten into the trunk and was now back inside swinging Aya’s blade around. He was not keen on such a weapon, preferring smaller knives and collapsible blades. The thing sure was sharp though. ‘We have to get back to Boss Man or he’s going to throw a monster of a fit.’ Farfarello finally directed his thoughts towards Schuldig’s mind. The two of them had been gone an awfully long time and not checked in after all.

A frown suddenly appeared on Schuldig’s face and he pulled out quickly. He was panting slightly still holding Aya down with one hand. “Damnit.” Looking towards the windows he saw the grey light of dawn turning everything hazy. He looked back down to Aya. “I suppose we’ll save that for next time then.” He pushed himself up off the bed and grabbed his jacket. Slipping his arms in he turned back to Aya one last time brushing long bangs out of his eyes. “I will find out what you’re keeping back there and I will be relentless in my pursuit. Now that I know you’re alive you won’t be able to hide anywhere.” He waved as he walked out of the room. 

It only took him a minute to make it down to the first floor where he found Farfarello playing around with Aya’s katana. “Leave it here. Let’s go.” His words were clipped; voice sounding gruff. He could not take his frustration out on Farfarello though; he after all had a point. Had Schuldig not been reminded of their previous task he would have probably stayed well into the morning completely forgetting the urgent need to return the vial to Crawford. The two members of Schwartz were soon threading their way through early morning traffic to get back to the penthouse, leaving the Weiß boys to fend for themselves.


	12. Chapter 12

The moment Aya heard the sound of that car engine fading he swung his legs over the edge of the bed again and stood up. Stumbling forward, he almost fell face first to the floor. His head was swimming, but he had to find Ken. Looking around he staggered over to the vanity mirror and kicked it, glass falling all over the small counter top. Turning around he backed up to it and grabbed hold of a silver shard of mirror using it to try and cut through the zip ties. It took some work and bloodied his fingers quite a bit but he finally weakened it enough that he could snap the plastic. The redhead immediately bolted out the door and ran down the hall, poking his head in every room before going to the stairwell. He figured Ken might be on the first floor. When Aya reached the bottom he raced into the lobby but stopped short spotting the metallic gleam of his Katana lying discarded on the floor. 

Aya picked up Shion and its sheath with bloody hands then glanced into the open door it was lying in front of. His eyes search the darkened room then finally fell on Ken’s motionless form and he felt his heart almost stop. He rushed into the room quickly sliding the blade home and dropped down at his side to check for a pulse first. It took him a moment to find it in Ken’s neck, it was slow and shallow. He rolled him over carefully exposing the bloody mess that was his team mate’s face. Aya had to get them out of there and fast. 

Ken was so heavy, but Aya managed to pick him up carefully. They needed to move outside. He stumbled out of the building and into the parking area before dropping to his knees. Weeds choked up through the broken concrete, their new green blades whipping about in the chill early morning wind. He cursed softly at the pain shooting up his legs. Rocking back on his heels Aya held Ken against his chest with one arm. After laying the katana down he reached into his pocket fumbling out his phone. The cuts on his hands made the small device hard to grab. ‘Fucking asshole didn’t take that away at least.’ He thought to himself, pressing the button to call Yohji with one tender finger. “Come on. Pick up damn you.” His voice was a starting to sound a bit ragged.

“Hmmmm, Aya?” Yohji’s sleepy voiced sounded over the line after the sixth or seventh ring. For once the man did not sound like he had a hangover. Yohji sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes his hair a fluffy mop on his head. “Aya, its 5:30 in the morning.” It took Yohji a second to realize that this phone call was completely out of the ordinary. He was suddenly wide awake when it hit him. “What’s wrong?” The lanky blonde was already out of bed pulling on a pair of crumpled jeans he had left on the floor the night before.

“Schwartz jumped us. God damnit Yohji you gotta come get us.” Aya frantically looked up and down the block then spilled out a street name that he could barely see the sign for. “It’s some old hotel out here. Hurry Ken’s in bad shape!” He practically yelled into the phone. “Hurry please… Farfarello…” he stopped talking his eyes dropped down to look at Ken. 

“Alright, alright.” Yohji fumbled into his boots and pulled on a tee shirt and long sleeved button up only buttoning two of the buttons. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” His heart was pounding in his chest. “Stay on the phone with me Aya.” Suddenly the pain he had been experiencing so badly the past few months did not matter anymore. “What’s going on? Is he breathing?” The blonde rushed downstairs and out to his car. Luckily he was vaguely familiar with the area of town Aya was talking about. It was mostly industrial and undeveloped tracks of land.

“His breathing is shallow. Pulse is slow.” Aya said trying to keep calm. “There’s so much blood.” He had shrugged out of his trench coat and pulled off his shirt. The air was crisp still at this time of day but he barely felt it. The redhead put his shirt to Ken’s temple being gentle with applying pressure. He wanted to be careful for sure, Ken’s head was messed up pretty badly. “It’s his head. Bashed his fucking head in again.” His voice was raw; it was hard to tell if it was from anger or fear.

Yohji’s hands shook as he drove through the early dawn of the city. “He’s going to have to go to the hospital Aya.” ‘Damnit. Schwartz was still alive.’ The news had come as a pretty big shock to Yohji. “We’re gonna have to come up with a cover. Say he was in a bike accident or something.” He could hear the other man’s voice breaking. “Aya, listen to me. You’re gonna have to pull it together.” The man on the other end of the phone sounded nothing like the Aya that Yohji knew. He turned down a smaller lane and into a slightly less developed area of the city. “I’m almost there. Hold on.”

“We need to call Omi. He’ll know the hospitals that are under Kritiker’s jurisdiction.” He stopped talking looking down at Ken again. All he wanted was a response from Ken, anything to show the poor man had some life left in him. “Hurry Yohji…” 

He glanced down the block watching for the blonde’s car. Aya heard seven before he saw it and he struggled to his feet again, wrapping his coat around Ken and picking him up carefully. Aya was strong enough to manage it but the events of the night had really taken their toll and his legs shook a bit. The brunette was much stockier than he was and was all dead weight at this point. He wobbled cautiously towards the car.

It was difficult to say but aside from the missing shirt and the blood Aya appeared to be fairly unscathed, however the emotional turmoil written on his face was pretty obvious. Yohji screeched to a halt, slammed seven into park then hopped over the side. Reaching Aya quickly he silently helped carry their companion the last few feet. The blood from Ken’s cuts was slowing but both men were covered with it. “Here, let’s get him in the back.” He helped the redhead ease Ken into the back seat, laying the trench coat out under him. Before Aya could get in beside him Yohji turned him around, placing both hands on the redhead’s shoulders to stabilize him. “It will be ok Aya.” Yohji was not sure he believed those words but he had to say something. He let go of Aya so he could get in the back then stowed his weapon in the trunk. 

Aya nodded slowly, accepting the words but not really hearing them. He got in the back seat resting Ken’s head in his lap, trying to keep his head elevated a little. The redhead could not remember if that was the right thing to do. Really he was not certain of anything at the moment.

It had been somewhat miraculous that Ken had come around only three days after the tower incident. Yohji was no medical expert but he did not think it was good that Ken had sustained such extreme head trauma twice in less than a year. The blonde only hopped his friend’s luck would pull him through this. When they were settled Yohji drove back the way he had come punching the speed dial on his phone for Omi.

Omi eyed his phone, noting the time and name flash across the screen. “Yohji? Is something wrong?” He sounded a bit sleepy, though he had not been to bed yet. Working at decoding the cryptic information gleaned from the hospital had kept him up all night. It only now occurred to him that neither Ken nor Aya had checked in with him.

“We’ve got an emergency situation on our hands. Ken is badly injured and we need hospital staff ready to admit him as soon as we get there. I need the address of the nearest Kritiker facility.” Yohji took a deep breath not wanting to voice the next few words. “Omi, Schwartz is alive. Farfarello got to Ken again.” He did not need to say more, Omi would know what that meant. “Can you meet us there?” Yohji did not realize his hand was white from gripping the steering wheel so hard.

Omi took a deep, shaken breath on the other end of the line. He racked his brain for a moment then came up with address. “Head over to Sanno Hospital. I’ll alert them than you are coming.” He almost felt like this was his fault. Had he checked up on things as per Ken’s request and saw Schuldig in the video… he just did not think they would need to go back to the sites. “I’ll be down there as soon as I can.” The youth ended the call and placed his phone quietly on the desk. A great knot of unease welled up inside him as he put his head in his hands. 

Aya was dead silent sitting in the back seat, staring into Ken’s battered face. He felt his eyes begin to burn a little and it felt like he was being choked. When the car slowed he finally looked up as Yohji pulled into the emergency entrance of the hospital. Sure enough Omi had called it in and there were several nurses with a stretcher ready to take Ken right away. 

Aya was hesitant to even let Ken out of his sight, but as they lifted the brunette out of the car he found it hard to even move. He was covered in blood but most of it was not his own. The redhead glanced up at Yohji and perhaps for the first time in Yohji’s life he saw a shell shocked look on the usual calm and stoic face. 

For a moment Yohji felt his heart stop. Something was very wrong, something that went beyond Ken’s current critical condition. He slipped into the back seat and very gingerly put his arm around Aya, he could feel the slight tremor vibrating through the other man’s body. “Aya, we need to get you checked out too. You’re going into shock.” He could feel the redhead’s skin becoming icy under his hand. His shirt that he had been using as a compress for Ken’s wounds had gone with him into the hospital. Reaching to the floorboard he pulled up Aya’s trench coat where it had slid down. The white leather was torn and stained with blood. Yohji wrapped it around Aya and helped him get out of the car.

Aya found his feet but he was shaking so bad he had to lean on Yohji for support. Looking down at the bloody gashes on his hands he flexed them slowly. He had forgotten all about that. Every time he moved his fingers it just re-opened the wounds that were trying desperately to clot. “No… No… I’m fine I just need to wash my hands.” He blinked and looked up at Yohji then let himself be led into the hospital. The man was in no shape to resist.

Before they could get inside a slick black Lincoln pulled up behind Yohji’s car and Omi popped out of the back. “Oi! Aya-kun! Yohji-kun!” He ran up to them. “Aya-kun, your hands. Let the doctors look at that!” He exclaimed seeing the shape of Aya’s fingers. The youth had definitely drifted away in the past few months but it was obvious he still cared a lot for the other men.

Yohji gave Omi a pointed look then turned back to Aya. “Aya, please go with the nurses. They will help you get cleaned up.” If felt strange talking to him like that, in a lot of ways Aya had always sort of been the leader of their group. He had been the one in control for the most part and even though they all had their differences every single one of them looked up to Aya in some way. The blonde did not know quite how to feel in the given situation. Yohji entrusted Aya into the care of three nurses. They lead him off into the ER unit. He let out a deep sigh then turned to Omi. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

Omi nodded. “Let’s head back outside.” He said waving at him to follow. The boy stepped back out into the brisk air making his way back towards the Lincoln. A deep frown was set on his boyish features. Aya looked like a damn wreck. He would have bet money that Schuldig had his mental way with him. Holding the door open he turns to Yohji and gestures for him to get in. Once inside the car he politely asks the driver to give them a few minutes alone. “What is it Yohji?”

The blonde looked around the plush interior of the car then pulled out a cigarette. Under the circumstances he did not figure Omi would care. Fishing in his jean pocket for his lighter he finds what he is looking for and lights up. When he brought his hand up to his face he noticed the blood on them. The dark stain seemed to be sinking into the flesh on the back of his hand. Whether it was Ken’s or Aya’s he did not know.

“Something is going on Omi. I’ve never seen Aya like that.” He shook his head his hair falling into his eyes. “We’re fucked, you know that?” The blonde took another drag off of his smoke. “Schwartz is alive and involved and…” he trailed off. He did not quite know what to say but the minute he had driven up and seen Aya holding onto Ken he knew. It made his stomach clench a little finally coming to that conclusion. “Aya...we’re going to have to keep a close watch on him.”

Omi nodded watching Yohji while he spoke. He cracked a window to let the smoke escape. “You think Schuldig was there? Aya didn’t look physically hurt too bad so he must have been assaulted mentally.” He crossed his arms over his chest wrinkling the suit jacket he wore. It looked so out of place on him. “I dunno, Ken might be the one we really have to worry about. After him calling me frantically the other day over just sighting Schuldig…. I had missed his calls, but he sure blew up my phone.” Omi says glancing out the window, a bit of a guilty look on his face. 

“I mean I guess what I’m saying is, why do you think we’ll need to keep a close eye on Aya-kun? You think Schuldig really messed him up that badly? He seemed coherent...but a little shocky.” Omi had not been spending a lot of time around the other three lately. There were a lot of things he had missed over the past few months. “As for the mission,” his voice got quiet, “we might have to finish things up ourselves. But I don’t want to go in with just the two of us, not now.” He frowned.

Yohji hung his head. “Yeah I'm pretty sure Schuldig was there. You Know Farfarello is almost never on his own.” The blonde was feeling pretty shitty about himself at the moment. He had not known about Schuldig; Ken had not bothered to call him with the news. Yohji had sunk into a pretty deep depression for a while there. Last night was the first that he had not drunk himself to sleep in a while and he was glad for it. He might not have woken up to Aya’s phone call otherwise.

“Of course we’ll need to watch Ken.” He would likely be in ICU for a while. “But...Aya. He, he’s been acting different around Ken.” Yohji did not just want to come out and say what he thought was going on just in case he was wrong. “You’re probably going to have a hard time keeping him away once Ken is allowed visitors.” He pulled on his cigarette one last time before crushing it out in the little ashtray attached to the car door.

Omi nodded. He kind of got the gist of things actually. “I see… well….” He let out a light sigh. “I hope Aya doesn’t do anything rash. I think not being able to get him away from Ken’s bed side might actually be a good thing. You know how Aya can be…” Omi was worried Aya would go out on a crazy vengeance streak. Vengeance was after all the driving force behind Aya for most of the time they all had known him. He scratched the back of his head then quickly changed the subject.

“After checking out all the information we do have a hit called out for Dr. Inumura.” The boy glanced over at Yohji. Normally something like that would be an easy in an out sort of thing. With Schwartz running around now who knew when they might pop up again though. Omi’s brows drew together in concern.

The blonde nodded, grateful that he did not need to explain further. It was going to take him some time to deal with it but with the current situation making sure Ken would stay alive was far more important than his own needs. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to take him out, but you’re right I don’t think the two of us are going to cut it. If we run into Schwartz things could get pretty dicey.” 

He put his palm up to his forehead and sighed. “It’s really your call though Omi.” It did not matter that officially he was now Mamarou Takaetori, he would always be little Omichi to Yohji. Always be that awkward teenager he had teased about girls back at the old shop. The blonde did not figure he would ever quite get used to taking orders from Omi when things eventually came down to that.

“Let’s see if Aya can pull out of the haze he is in. If he doesn’t do it quick enough we’ll have to take the chance. I hate to sound cold, but the mission is still of high importance.” Omi sighed a bit shakily. It was obvious such calls were still hard for the youth. “He just needs to be kept an eye on. I’ll leave that up to you Yohji. With my schedule I don’t have a lot of free time now, please keep me posted.” He opened the car door then headed back toward the hospital entrance effectively ending the conversation. 

Yohji let out a little frustrated breath. He could see plainly the strain on Omi’s face. It seemed obvious to the blonde that the youth was struggling with this new life that had been thrust upon him. “Yeah, the mission.” He did not sound convinced. Following Omi back inside he waited about impatiently until a nurse told him he could come back to see Aya. 

“Hey,” he turned one last time to Omi who was speaking with a member of the hospital staff, “I know you’re really busy and you’re trying to do the right thing but please try to answer your phone if you see it’s me calling, ok?” He smiled a little almost reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair but then let his hand drop. “I’ll keep you updated.” With that he turned around and followed the nurse back through the double doors to the ER unit.

Aya was sitting in a chair staring off into space, his bandaged hands laying face up in his lap. When Yohji came in he glanced over at him. One of his eyes was quite bloodshot but aside from that he seemed to be at least physically fine. He did not say anything though, his gaze going unfocused out in front of him again.

Yohji closed the door behind him to give them some privacy. He pulled up another chair in front of Aya and sat down. “Are you ok?” His voice was a little flat. Aya was definitely not ok even if physically he seemed in decent shape. “How did you cut your hands up?” He reached forward to gently take the redheads hands. The blonde was doing his best to try and get Aya to be responsive. It would do no good to let the redhead sit and brood over what had happened.

The pale man took a deep breath. “Zip ties.” He said. “I broke a mirror and used a shard of glass to cut through the plastic.” He dragged his booted feet across the floor stretching his legs out a bit and leaning back in the chair. “God dammit, I couldn’t do anything.” Aya did not handle being helpless very well. His mind was still buzzing with thoughts of self-doubt.

Yohji pulled his hands forward to look at them. The nurses had done a good job keeping the bandages small and tight. As long as Aya did not move them around too much he would not break open his cuts again. It did not appear that he had needed stitches either; the cuts had been numerous but shallow.

He was hesitant to push more information from Aya but knew that it could be beneficial. If he was going to be reporting to Omi on a regular basis now he needed to know everything. “Where did you get attacked? One of the crime scenes?” The blonde purposely tried to bring Aya back to the present. He could see the other man drifting in his own misery.

He shook his head. “Uh… the restaurant crime scene. I found a vial of something there… but I don’t have it anymore. I guess…. Schuldig and Farfarello had come back for it.” He clenched his jaw just having to say their names. “They are definitely involved in all of this.” He pulled his feet back again and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, putting his head between his hands.

The blonde nodded his head not wanting to push any more than he had to. That bit of information would be enough to keep Omi satisfied for a while. “Alright, I’ll make sure Omi knows.” When Aya had shifted Yohji had let his hands slip away.

He scooted his chair forward so that his long legs were on either side of Aya’s. Reaching out, Yohji tenderly pulled the other’s head up so he could look at him. “Aya, this isn’t your fault.” It was plain to see the other man was blaming himself. “I’m sure you did everything you could.” The blonde assassin’s green eyes had taken on a softness seldom seen.

Aya lifted his head and looked at him. It seemed he was having a hard time making eye contact right now, but seeing Yohji’s softened gaze eased him a little bit. “I should… have reacted quicker. I’m getting slow and foolish.” He finally said. “I … let myself get vulnerable.” He closed his eyes a moment and took a deep breath. “I’m going to stay here tonight… I guess if we need to finish the mission… you can come get me.” Aya tried to keep up the tough guy act as best he could, but it was obvious that he was unfit for much of anything right now.

“No,” Yohji dropped his hand, “you are in no shape. Take it easy and rest here as long as you need too.” It was difficult for the blonde to see his companion in such a bad state. He wanted to do the right thing and comfort the other but did not quite know how. Aya was the last person he ever thought would need comforting.

“I’m sorry Aya, about the other day.” He stood and walked towards the window of the private room looking out onto the waking city. “I...how I acted wasn’t right.” Thinking that his apology might soothe the other he began to pour his heart out a bit.

“I think I know what’s going on. I also think I was in denial about it for a long time.” He shook his head as though trying to clear it. “I can imagine what you’re going through though.” Losing Asuka, no...killing her had been the single most painful experience of his life and it still haunted him to this day. If Aya’s feelings for Ken were anything similar the blonde did not know if Aya would be able to take it should the worst happen.

Aya dropped his head. “I know that you know… you know more than anyone what battle I’m fighting right now.” He slammed his fist down on the counter next to him, probably re injured himself but he really could not help it. The redhead was swinging between sorrow and rage, his anguish was more than he could handle. Aya just was not used to feeling anything…

Yohji jumped at the sound of Aya’s fist hitting the counter. “Damnit.” He walked around the bed and took Aya’s hand into his own. Small red spots began to appear on the bandages. “I know you’re angry.” He held onto the other’s hand. “I know you feel helpless and that you’d do anything to change the situation.” The blonde pulled up and forward gently bringing Aya up to standing, moving his body closer to his own and wrapping one arm around the redhead. 

“Anything you say or do stays in this room, ok?” He was basically giving Aya a safe place to breakdown. All the nights he had spent alone, loathing himself, drinking himself to sleep, desperately trying to find solace in the arms of women that could never replace Asuka. He did not want Aya ending up like that, or worse shutting down altogether. In some small way Yohji was trying to atone for his sins. If he could be there for Aya, in that moment then maybe he could ask for a little bit of forgiveness when the time was right.

Aya blinked his eyes, giving Yohji a confused look as he spoke. It was almost like he did not understand. He could not remember how to collapse. The redhead frowned as if he were struggling to release his pent up feelings. “Yeah well, the hospital might get mad if I beat you up.” He finally said, tipping his head a little and resting it against Yohji’s chest. It felt like his eyes were burning.

“Do you think…. he’ll die?” He finally said. Aya’s voice sounded so small when he spoke those words. His shoulders trembled a little. “I’d rather… that than…” he could not even say the alternative.

Yohji wrapped his other arm around Aya’s back and pulled him to his chest. “If it makes you feel better I’ll let you lay into me. I don’t think that’s really what you want though.” The blonde felt Aya trembling against him. He had never seen the other man so broken down. This was not the Aya he knew; the cold stoic man whose only other emotion was rage. His only thought revenge.

He could feel his throat getting tight as well. “I don’t know. I don’t know how badly he is hurt.” His voice broke off. Any anger he had harbored towards Ken during the past few weeks had melted away. He felt so selfish and foolish. Aya would never be able to fill the emptiness that Yohji needed to be filled. The blonde was resolved to knowing he would forever have a hole in his heart. He did know that he did not want Ken to die though. Ken did not deserve what was happening to him.

Aya had not really cried since he had lost his family. He had some nights when he was alone at first that he would cry himself to sleep, but slowly over time he felt less and less. Ken had started to tear down some of those walls he had built and suddenly Aya felt vulnerable again. “I wish… they’d come and tell us something, anything.” He had tears in his eyes, but his weeping was quite silent due to him fighting it down any way he could.

Strong arms pulled Aya in tighter and Yohji rested his chin on the other’s head. It had been a long time since he had fully embraced anyone like this. The redhead felt so fragile against him all of a sudden. He could feel the other’s hot tears begin to soak into his shirt. “Aya…”The blonde’s voice practically broke with concern. “I’m sure they are doing everything they can for him.” He just continued to hold on helping to keep the other supported.

“I … I’m mad at Ken… for making me… care about him.” He stuttered his words, just trying to focus on breathing. His chest felt so fucking tight, his body trembled. “I feel like … terrible. Just…” He did not know what to say. He did not know how to express any of his feelings right now. “I just keep losing…” he lifted a hand to rub at his face.

Yohji could not help it, a little chuckle escaped him but it was not condescending. “Aya, he’s not making you do anything.” It was as though the redhead just could not accept that his feelings were genuine. That they had actually come from inside him and that he was just as much responsible for the way he was feeling as Ken was.

The blonde still did not know a lot about Aya’s past aside from the little bit he knew about his sister. It must have been awful for him to watch her lying there day after day but he could not understand why the redhead was so closed up. Why was he so afraid to feel anything? Opening yourself up and making yourself vulnerable was part of the deal. Had Aya really been so damaged by something that he would rather just not feel anything?

“I guess you are right… I guess… I’m just scared.” Aya said. “I’m afraid.” He said again as if finally admitting it to himself. He pulled back a little looking up at Yohji, his eyes red. He wiped at his tears and took a deep breath. “Did I make a mistake? Goddammit I want to just… hold Farfarello’s head under water. I didn’t care what Schuldig did to me… I … I’ve had worse.” He looked away.

That last bit caught Yohji off guard a little. He looked down at Aya’s face noting the faint tear streaks. “Sometimes it’s ok...to feel that way. Hell, I’ll find the deepest well in the country and help you drop that bastard down in it.” He looked away for a second. “You’re asking the wrong person if love is ever a mistake.” Yohji certainly did not think it was, although it certainly had its drawbacks in their profession. None of them, except for maybe Omi now could hope to have any sort of normal life. Get married, have kids, the whole deal. The fact that Aya had found a little piece of that heaven in Ken was something Yohji felt he should hold on to. He could not keep his question back any longer though. “What happened to you Aya? Why are you so afraid of this?”

Aya froze looking at Yohji silently for a long time. “For a lot of reasons, Yohji. I did a lot of desperate things for someone I loved very much, and those things added brick after brick until I stopped feeling so that I could just make it to the next day. Make it to the next day to make sure she could keep living… even if her comatose state was a mockery of life.” He closed his eyes. “Once I stopped feeling… I guess I became like that as well. I don’t know… I…” He sighed softly. “I haven’t told anyone about it. Any of it.” He cringed a bit, as if those raw emotional wounds had just had salt poured in them. “That part of my life I guess… set me up to push people away.”

Yohji backed up a step his hands on Aya’s arms. The fact that he was being so open stunned the blonde for a second. Green eye’s searched the others but there is was no judgment there. Yohji had done some pretty shady things in his time on this earth as well but unlike the redhead he had learned to accept those things about himself and leave most of them in the past. The one thing he did have issues with was letting go of feeling responsible for Asuka’s death. She was the only person he had ever really loved.

“We all have our pasts Aya.” He shrugged a bit. “You don’t have to let yours steal away the potential happiness you could have. You refuse to be a part of your sister’s life, and for good reason. I…I get that now. Ken however is a part of all of this. You need to remember that.”

A soft knock came from the door. “Excuse me?” The two could hear the voice of a nurse on the other side. “May I come in now?”

Aya nodded to Yohji. “If that bastard doesn’t die on me...” He trailed off, wiping at his eyes again. “I need to tell him so much. He needs to know who I am.” He stood up pacing a little bit, then stopped and looked to the door. “Come in.” He called to the nurse. “Please tell me you have good news.” 

A woman dressed in the hospitals pink and white nurse uniform entered the room. She held a clipboard to her chest then glanced down at it momentarily. “Fujimiya-san, Kudou-san?” She double checked the names making sure she had the right room. “The doctors have been able to stabilize Hidaka-san. It seems his shoulder was pretty badly dislocated but they were able to fix it with minimal trauma to the surrounding tissue.” She paused for a moment trying to gauge the two men in the room. “He has suffered quite a bit of substantial head trauma however. His pulse is steady but the doctor has put him on a ventilator to help him breath for the time being.” The air in the room suddenly got quiet still. “I can take you to see him if you’d like.”

Aya listened intently, her words lingering in his mind as his breathing went shallow. “Yeah… please. I want to see him.” Aya wobbled a bit on his feet, but steadied himself. “I’m going to stay here as long as I can… just so you know.” Aya told the nurse. He looked to Yohji and gave him a slight nod. It was obvious Aya was walling up again to deal with things with a calmer head. He did not want to lose his composure in front of the nurse. 

Yohji read him loud and clear. He did not say anything but kept an eye on the redhead just in case. He knew how unstable he was at the moment. The blonde knew Aya could handle himself but he was still pretty shaken up.

“Please then, if you’ll follow me.” She led the two of them out into the hall and through the ER unit. “Arrangements have been made for you Fujimiya-San, courtesy of Taketori-San.” The name slipped past her lips so easily. She would have no way of knowing Aya’s previous trauma associated with that name. “We have cleared an adjoining room for you.” Turning and looking pointedly at Aya she stated, “Should anything happen though and you refuse to leave on your own, measures will be taken to forcefully remove you.” There was no hint of malice in her voice. She was only relaying what she had been told.

Aya stopped in his tracks and looked at her head on, but instead of getting angry about it he just nodded. “Just… tell me what to do.” He said his voice sounding a bit hollow. He did not seem to react to the name Takatori, probably blocking it from his mind. He was so tired and worn out now and just wanted to see Ken, even if Ken would not be awake to appreciate it. Hell, he wondered if Ken being awake would have made things worse. Considering how the brunette had handled just thinking about Farfarello the other day, he was a little bit uneasy and unsure of how Ken was going to be if and when he woke up. 

She nodded seeing that he understood. “If the doctors need to get to Hidaka-San for emergency care then you are to leave the room at once.” She started walking down the hall again towards an elevator. “We can arrange for some of your things to be brought here to make your stay more comfortable.” They got in the elevator and she pushed the button to go up to the 3rd floor. What was probably only a few moments seemed to drag on for an eternity.

Aya nodded as if he were only half listening. “I’ll be fine.” He said his voice stone cold. It was impressive how fast the man could swing into frigid mode. Yohji would not be fooled though; he knew Aya was going mad inside his head right now. 

To be honest Aya was almost afraid to see Ken, to see the shape he was in. He was only glad that they were able to get him to the hospital in a timely manner… at least once everything was said and done. Aya cursed himself internally again. He still could not stop placing the blame on himself. If he had only been able to respond a little quicker…then Schuldig might not have gotten the jump on him.

The elevator doors slid back and the nurse walked the two men out onto the ICU floor. It was relatively quiet but many members of the hospital staff were rushing about. “This way please.” The floor split off in 3 directions, a little sign at the beginning of each ward indicating the type of patients that were staying there. The nurse took them down the farthest from the elevator, the sign read, ‘Neurological’. 

The Taketori family backed several of the best medical facilities in Tokyo, just another asset in their far reaching empire. It was a miracle that Reiji Taketori had not demolished the whole thing in his lust for power. Now poor Omi was left to pick up the pieces, luckily though his grandfather was still alive and able to manage things while the newest head of the Taketori family finished school.

When they reached the end of the hall the nurse stopped them outside of Room 310. “This is where Hidaka-San will stay until he recovers.” She pointed to Room 309. “This will be your room Fujimiya-San.” Taking the clipboard next to the door she wrote something quickly on it. “Please refrain from raising your voices or using your mobile phones while in the treatment room.”

Aya pulled out his phone and shut it off. “If I need to call anyone I’ll just take breaks and go do it.” He snatched a pack of cigarettes out of Yohji’s jacket pocket. “Now I have a reason to take breaks.” He looked to the nurse. “Thank you… I won’t be a problem.”

Yohji almost smacked the redhead’s hand away out of reflex but let him take the pack. He had only seen Aya smoke one other time and it was purely by accident. At the time Yohji had teased him slightly about it and he had never caught him doing it again. Now though he did not say anything. Yohji nodded to the nurse as she walked away. When he turned back Aya had opened the door.

The redhead turned and went into room 310, gearing himself up for seeing Ken. The sound of a heart rate monitor hit him first and it was almost like a punch to the gut. He was so tired of that sound, he could barely stand it. Seemed this scenario was going to be a constant in his life. An overwhelming sense of déjà vu washed over him. 

The room was immaculately white and sterile looking. The only items it contained were several monitoring cameras in the ceiling, Ken’s bed and the machines he was currently hooked up to plus two chairs. The brunette lay very still beneath a while blanket his upper body slightly propped up by two pillows. White gauze encircled his head but it was easy to see the areas where they had shaved his hair down to the scalp to stitch him up. The back and sides of Ken’s head would be crisscrossed with scars. His face was pretty beat up too; all shades of black and blue as the bruising began to settle in. A long white tube was taped to his mouth and snaked its way around to an oxygen machine. His left arm was also in a sling. Apparently the dislocation had been severe enough that once placed in the proper position it had to be held there. The brunette’s chest rose and fell very softly.

Aya froze and it almost looked like the redhead wanted to flee the room, but his shoulders slumped a bit and he walked forward pulling up one of the stools and sitting down on it next to Ken’s bed. He reached up and put a hand on Ken’s that was at his side and brushed his thumb over his knuckles a moment before dropping his hand back down into his own lap. 

He glanced at Yohji. “That piece of shit really did a number on him.” He narrowed violet eyes; it seemed that Aya was going to deal with his internal anguish with a bit of anger. He did not raise his voice or move. He just sat there staring at Ken’s bruised up face wishing they were anywhere else but here. 

Yohji quietly closed the door. Ken looked really bad, even worse than last year when he had been in a similar situation. Farfarello seemed to be obsessed with giving Ken brain damage. He walked over to Aya and put a hand on his shoulder. When Ken had been unconscious before Aya had stayed with him too but things were a little different this time around. He could only imagine what the redhead must be going through. The hospital room and beeping of machines must have been tough to take.

“Yeah…” It was the only thing Yohji could think to say for a moment. He knew Aya was probably harboring a murderous rage against Farfarello and you did not want to be the person to stand in the way of his revenge. However, Yohji knew that under the current circumstances that even if Aya were to somehow find the Irishman he would not be able to take him. 

“Aya, please just stay with Ken for now.” He hoped that the other would pick up on his meaning and not lash out and him. “Omi is going to be working on this mission with us now as well so please don’t stress yourself over it.” Truth was he and Omi probably should not try to wrap things up on their own but there was little choice considering the circumstances. If Aya was too unstable to send out then the two of them would be on their own.

Aya was staring blankly ahead for the moment but finally he slowly nodded. “Don’t worry… I’ll be here. If he wakes up… I don’t want to be far.” He sighed deeply and the sound was laced with anguish. “If you think you need me to finish up just… let me know.” He leaned back a little bit looking down at his bandaged hands. “I just need time enough to be able to hold a blade again.” His voice was quiet, but it was still a bit hoarse. 

He looked up to Yohji finally after a time. “I’ll call if I need anything, but I guess I’ll see you if you come to visit.” He nodded to him. “Don’t worry I can get mad at you later for telling me not to be brash. I just don’t have it in me right now.” He offered the other a weak smile.

Yohji nodded and looked back to Ken. “He’s tough...just give him time.” The blonde fished his lighter from his pocket. It was the expensive one he’d had monogrammed many years ago. It was worn and a little tarnished from spending so much time in Yohji’s pocket. “Here…” he slid it down over Aya’s shoulder, “you’re not going to be able to light those with your fingers.” The gesture was small but pretty significant. “Can I bring you anything? I can swing by the shop.” He tried to make it seem like it was not a big deal what he had just done.

Aya blinked, gingerly taking the lighter. “Oh…” He looked at it, then back up to the blonde. “You sure?” He smiled just a little but it faded pretty quickly. “I’ll get it back to you.” He thought for a moment. “Maybe just a change of clothes.” He was still in his bloody and torn up pants and a scrub top one of the nurses had given him because he had refused to put on a hospital gown. “Swing by a restaurant and get me a bite to eat too if you could. I don’t really want to eat here.” Honestly with all the time he had spent sitting in hospitals with a loved one he was very against the cafeteria food. “I can’t think of anything else. If I think of something I’ll send you a text.” He told him closing his eyes a moment. He was so damn tired.

“Yeah, hold onto it for me.” Yohji took a deep breath in, obviously very stressed by the whole situation. Everything that had happened in the past few hours had really thrown into a sharp light how much of an ass he had been; how self-centered and shallow. He made a mental promise to himself to not purposely aggravate Aya from here on out. “Ok, I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Glancing to the clock by the bed he noticed it was only 9:30 in the morning. It was going to be a damn long day. He left the room quietly leaving the redhead to his thoughts.


	13. Chapter 13

The next week stretched by tortuously slow and Ken made little signs of progressing. Yohji tried to stop by at least once a day to check in on Aya. He had really stepped up his game with running the shop; trying to take care of things the best he could while this whole mess was being sorted out. Omi had been incredibly busy trying to figure out if and when they should go out on the next mission as well as working to decode more of the information they had gotten at the hospital. They still needed to take out Dr. Inumura and get that chess piece off the board even though it was only a pawn. 

The blonde closed up shop for the day and counted the till out quickly. Things had been blessedly slow as there was no way he could keep up just by himself if it had been otherwise. Spring had finally made her full appearance and the cherry trees across the city were in full bloom now. Many people were flooding the parks and temples for picnics to enjoy the beauty of the season. It was difficult to see their smiling faces and hear laughter floating through the air. While their world continued on Ken lay in the hospital, his having practically coming to a halt.

Aya did not do much talking when Yohji dropped by and it was obvious he was not sleeping much through the nights either. There just was not a lot for him to work with by that point; he was just going through the daily motions. Omi had commented to Yohji on several occasions that he was counting their lucky stars that Aya had not left to go try and hunt down Farfarello on his own.

Yohji was getting very concerned about Aya. As far as he knew the redhead had not left the hospital grounds all week. The blonde was pretty good about bringing him food and clothes but Aya had just sort of turned into an empty shell, accepting what was given to him but otherwise being pretty unresponsive. They needed to do something. In his frustration he pulled out his phone and called Omi. He knew it was not fair to badger the younger man but he could no longer just stand around and wait.

Omi pick up the phone when he saw who it was. “What’s up Yohji-kun?” He tried to sound chipper; normally not a hard feat for him but his voice was edged with a weariness that had not been there in the past. He was getting more serious as the responsibilities piled on. Now that he was a Taketori the pressure to live up to his grandfather’s expectations was definitely mounting. There were times when the youth had to remind himself that the choice to follow this path had been his. No one had forced him into this.

“Omi.” Yohji’s voice sounded strained, he had been dealing with quite a few of his own sleepless nights as well. “Please tell me you’ve gotten something out of that info from the hospital.” It had been almost two weeks and Omi was still struggling with it. “We need to start moving things forward.” Since the last four incidents things had calmed down and the news was now starting to focus on other topics. Wide spread panic had in fact not ensued but that did not mean that it was not there boiling just under the surface. The cases had been left open for investigation but it was obvious the police we not trying very hard. If they did not act soon the trail would grow cold. There was also Schwartz to contend with. Anything they were involved with was usually much worse than it seemed.

“Well we do have that hit for Inumura.”Omi starts hastily. “I’ve also found a member of that hospitals medical board and I’ve intercepted messages from her e-mail straight to a B. Crawford. I’m pretty sure there is someone pulling the strings above Schwartz, but they are definitely directly involved. We have no idea where Crawford or any of them are but this woman is the Chief of Medicine for that particular hospital. Her name is Shizuki.” Omi paused for a moment and typing could be heard. “I have some schedules for both of them and good places to track them down at.” He went quiet for a moment. There had not been much of a chance for him to get in to the hospital to check on either Ken or Aya. “Yohji… how are they doing? Can we count on Abyssinian for this? I’m swamped with stuff here and don’t think I can go in on this one with you.” He hated to admit that and really did not want to send Yohji by himself.

“There’s always someone above Schwartz, hopefully not Ezset again. I’m pretty sure they are incapable of scheming on their own.” This though, the blonde was not entirely convinced on. Schwartz worked in much the same capacity as Weiß except they provided protection for their employers as well as any other services that were needed of them. While Weiß were assassins by trade working under one organization, Schwartz were more akin to hired mercenaries having no loyalty except to those who could pay the price. Even that was not always a guarantee though and the price often ended up being more than just monetary. 

Yohji closed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose between index finger and thumb, a headache starting to build. “He’s a wreck, Omi. Although it might do him some good to pull him out of there for a bit. Try to get his mind off things?” If Aya was shutting down he might be even more efficient on a mission. Yohji hated to think of it that way but it was very likely. “Sounds like the targets will be pretty easy to deal with.”

Omi sighed softly. “Go over there and let him know. See how he reacts.” He told him. “Get back to me on it and I’ll get a mission plan set up.” Faster typing can be heard over the line. “I’ll talk to you when you get back to me. It should be an easy job if Schwartz stays out of the way. I’ll try to make sure they don’t contact the targets or meet with them but I can’t promise anything. If something does happen then I want the two of you out of there. You understand? Do not let Aya go off on a revenge tirade.” With that Omi pushed the end call button and sighed deeply. Once again Schwartz was throwing a giant wrench into their lives.

The blonde hung up and just stood there in the closed shop for a moment. Everything was so deceptively peaceful. The sun was coming in warm through one of the front windows and onto a display of lilies making their scent fill the small space. He walked over and grabbed up the vase thinking he would take it with him to leave in Ken’s room. Something from ‘home’ might make the place feel a little less sterile.

After grabbing some more clothes for Aya and some take-out leftovers from the fridge Yohji headed down to the hospital his mood a somber one. He prayed that Aya would be stable enough to actually do this mission, if not, Yohji might be going solo tonight and he did not relish the idea. Feeling rusty was not something he wanted to admit to himself but he was definitely out of practice. It was his own fault really though for pushing Omi to make the decision. 

Yohji pulled into the hospital parking lot then went inside. Several of the nurses at the front desk nodded at him having gotten used to him being there almost every day. The blonde quirked a little empty smile for them then headed for the elevator. They were still keeping Ken in ICU. At one point they had tried removing his breathing tube but the brunette had started breathing erratically so they put it back in. That day had been particularly hard for Aya and Yohji had stayed late into the night just sitting silently in the same room with him. He knocked lightly then opened the door to Ken’s room carefully balancing Aya’s things with the vase of lilies.

Aya turned a little and looked at him. He had dark bags under his eyes, but that was about the only sign of wear and tear the redhead had at this point. His emotions had definitely been shut down and his mouth was a thin, tight line across his face. Inside his heart a war was raging, but it did not get passed the blockade he had put up around the turmoil. Aya was an expert at keeping thing neatly contained inside for the most part.

He stood up and went to Yohji taking some of the items from him so he would not drop anything. “You’re a little late.” He commented off handedly. Yohji usually showed up a little earlier in the day than this. “Brought me some clothes? Thanks. I really need to change. Though I guess I’m in a hospital so I can’t be that bad.” He did notice that his clothes were starting to look a little rumpled though. Aya could not remember if he had changed yesterday or not.

The redhead did look a little rough around the edges. His clothes were wrinkled and if Yohji had to guess he had probably been up sitting with Ken most of the night. He placed the vase of lilies on the window sill and turned back to Aya. “Any changes?” He looked over at Ken for a moment then looked away quickly. It was hard for him to see the brunette this way. He had always known him to be so full of energy.

Before Aya could answer Yohji spoke again. There was really no need for the other to answer anyway. “I was on the phone with Omi for a bit. He’s pinned down Dr. Inumura as well as tracked the location of a woman, Chief of medicine at the hospital who has been directly communicating with Crawford. We have orders to take them both out, tonight, if possible.” He left it at that to see how Aya would respond.

Aya watched him walk to the window, opening his mouth to tell Yohji ‘no’, but when the other kept talking he just closed his mouth again and listened. It was pretty obvious after all that Ken was still unconscious. The redhead could see that Yohji was just trying to be civil.

“Do you need me?” He asked curiously. “I … I can go…. I just…” He looked over at Ken. He had spent years waiting for his sister to wake up… would he have to wait that long again? What if … it never came? He sighed softly. “I’ll go. I guess… I should get out. I don’t want you to go alone.” He finally said reaching up to touch Ken’s cheek before standing but the look on his face never changed. Aya stretched his body a bit then let his hands drop to his sides not realizing how stiff he had gotten from sitting there all day. “Just let me know what we need to do.”

“I understand why it’s difficult Aya. You’ve been in here a solid week and it wouldn’t hurt you to get out and move about a bit.” The blonde turned and leaned against the window sill. “I know you’ve got a lot of stuff pent up in that head of yours right now. This may give you the chance to clear it.” He knew that he would not have to try too hard to talk the redhead into it. Despite the current situation Aya was still a professional and he would not shirk his duties if asked. Still though, Yohji did not want to come off as being insensitive. He could not deny that he felt a bit of relief though that he would not be going solo tonight.

“I’ll let Omi know you’re in and get the mission data while I’m at it.” He stepped forward brushing one of the lilies with his shoulder making it release its scent into the room. The heady fragrance seemed so out of place in the white washed room. “You may want to try and get some sleep. I need you to be sharp for this.”

Aya nodded his assent. “Yeah, I’ll go try to do that now. Come pick me up when it is go time. My old gear is in the back of my closet. Make sure to bring Shion with you. I think it got left in your car.” He stretched again working out some of the stiffness in his back then headed to the door to go into the room they were letting him use. “You’re probably right. I do need to get out. Get away from …this for a little while.” Aya turned his hand on the door knob.

Under different circumstances, Yohji would have stayed and perhaps talked to Aya more. Honestly though there really had not been a whole lot of communicating going on between the two and most of the time the blonde would just come and sit with Aya for a few hours to keep tabs on how Ken was doing. He knew better than to push things right now. Sometimes it was better to just put everything aside and deal with the here and now. That here and now just happened to be a mission. 

“I’ll make sure I’ve got everything for you.” Yohji had even taken the time to oil and clean Shion for Aya. Granted it probably was not the best job but he did what he could knowing that at some point Aya would need the blade ready. “Get some rest, ok?” Yohji left the room so that Aya could sleep for a few hours.

After calling Omi and giving him the go ahead on Aya he received their mission orders. He had to make a stop by the shop again to get the redhead’s things. Long evening shadows played down the street as Yohji unlocked the sliding door to the shop. With the days getting longer though Aya would definitely have some time to rest up before nightfall finally came. 

“Excuse me young man.” Mrs. Nishimura poked her head from the building next door. “I haven’t seen the boys around and I hope everything is alright.” She came out with a plate of something in her hands. “Please make sure they get these.” She handed over the sweets and then quickly turned and went back inside. 

Yohji could not help but smile although it was a bit of a sad one. “They’ll be back soon.” He called after her glancing down to the plate of sweets. It was kind of the old lady to cared so much. Walking into the shop and upstairs he placed the cookies on the table then made his way to Aya’s room to gather up his stuff. The blonde figured he would maybe watch TV for a couple of hours before he made his way back to the hospital.

Aya had been in his room lightly dozing. He had made a point to try not to lay awake and think and had finally managed to fall into that quiet place between waking and dreaming. The redhead knew he needed the rest for this mission. As the sun dipped below the horizon though his amethyst eyes fluttered open and he looked around getting his bearings. Same white walls and same empty room. 

Sitting up he swung his legs over the edge of the cot and stood up into a stretch. He worked his arms back and forth in a hugging motion to get his blood going then went into the small bathroom to brush his teeth and run his fingers through his hair. Yohji should not take too much longer so Aya went in to sit with Ken again. It did not seem like much but it really was all he could do at the moment. Just sit…just wait.

He stepped into the quiet room and pulled up the little chair he had practically been living in all week and took Ken’s hand in his own. “I’ll be gone for a little bit.” His voice sounded small. Aya reached up and brushed a lock of Ken’s bangs to the side. The hair felt coarse under his fingers. “I’ll try not to be too long. Yohji and I…we’ve got a mission tonight.” The redhead’s gut tightened. He had often spent afternoons talking to his sister like this when she was in a coma, just simply telling her about his day.

A few minutes later Yohji knocked on the door and came in. The blonde had pretty much stopped bothering with asking to come in since most of the time Aya did not respond anyway. He had a duffle bag for the redhead which he handed over. “Everything’s in there but your coat and Shion. Those are in the car.” The redhead probably would not get too much staring wearing the black high collared shirt, black pants and boots but his trench coat would probably attract some unwanted attention. Because Aya’s new coat had been badly damaged Yohji had brought his old one. Up until tonight it had been sitting in the back of the redhead’s closet collecting dust.

The blonde was dressed in similar dark colors, his long sleeved shirt clinging to his skin. He had recently replaced his old garrote wire watch with a new model and it looked silver sleek against his wrist. “I’ll catch you up on the mission briefing when we’re on our way.” Yohji folded his arms over his chest, mouth set in a serious line.

“Yeah, I’ll need the details.” He told him, taking the bag then retreating back to his room. Aya went in the bathroom and got changed quickly. He flexed his hands inside of his gloves and noticed how strange it felt. His cuts had been healing nicely but he found his hands still a bit stiff. After making a few adjustments he turned and followed Yohji silently out to his car. If the two struck a strange look as they made their way through the hospital they would never know. No one even seemed to pay them a second glance. When they made it to Yohji’s car the redhead hopped in then turned pulling his old coat from the back seat. For the moment he left Shion where it lay. 

He frowned, feeling his heart rate speed up a bit all of a sudden. ‘What ifs’ flew through his mind frantically. What if that damn German was there? He hoped this would be an easy in and out but for some reason he was anxious and that was very unlike him. Maybe his encounter with the German had affected him more than he realized? He tried to convince himself it was just because he was worried about Ken but he knew he was not being completely honest with himself. ‘Get it together Aya.’ The redhead mentally chastised himself.

Yohji pulled out of the parking garage and sped off into the encroaching night. He could sense a little bit of Aya’s anxiety but did not bother to point it out. Calling to light Aya’s issues at the moment would more than likely not be the most productive thing to do. “Dr. Inumura is staying in his apartment downtown. By the time we get there building security will be cleared. It should just be an easy in and out.” The blonde slipped his fingers into one of his gloves and pulled it down with his teeth as he navigated through Tokyo traffic.

“Chief medical director Shizuki may be more of a problem however.” He made a sharp turn down a darkened street his new car taking the turn nice and tight. “Omi’s intel says that she’ll be at her private office tonight most likely touching base with her contacts.” The blonde meant Schwartz but could not quite bring himself to say it. “There is a chance that she won’t be alone.” This new little bit of intel that Omi had thrown at him last minute had not made Yohji happy. There was simply no way to tell if Shizuki would actually be alone or not. It was a chance they would just have to take.

Aya nodded, trying to keep a level head about things. “Alright.” There was a cold edge in his tone. He was going through the motions to shut down his anxiety, though it was proving to be a bit of a struggle. Yet another thing he was not used to dealing with. “So we are going to hit Inumura first then Shizuki. I suppose if Shizuki is not alone that…” He took a deep breath. “We’ll handle it.” He finally decided to settle on just shutting up for now. Aya did not want to psyche himself out if it turned out to be nothing.

“We have permission from Omi to back out if things with Shizuki become complicated. As of now she is the only target.” The blonde glanced at Aya his green eyes very serious. “That means that you have to keep your cool.” The worst case scenario was that Schwartz would be there. If Aya caught sight of Farfarello it could send him over the edge. The redhead had a track record of deviating from missions for his own personal reasons. Not that Yohji could blame him but this was not the time to deal with Schwartz.

Aya listened half-heartedly. It seemed that he agreed with Yohji but he would not be making any promises. “I just wish we had more manpower.” He commented idly. “But we’ll have to do the best we can. I don’t want to be out too long.” He slumped down in his seat a bit and watched the world go by. His top priority was getting back to Ken of course. Even if just sitting beside him did not really do anything Aya felt like he owed it to the other man to stay close by. 

Eventually they arrived at their destination, leaving the car parked in a darkened alley. Aya reached back and pulled Shion from the back seat then slipped out of the car into the darkness. He let the blonde guide them as he knew where they were going. “You said Security should be light?” The redhead shifted the carrying case for his blade over his shoulder. The weight settling on his back calmed him some and he felt some of his anxiety begin to fade.

“We shouldn’t run into any security at all.” Yohji checked his watch. “There is supposed to be a shift changeover at 9 o’clock. Omi has it so there is a 10 minute gap between that we can use.” He moved forward using the darkened park next to the building for cover. “All the apartments are fairly private so we shouldn’t have to worry about other tenants either.” He pulled a pass card out of his pocket and handed it to Aya. “Here, this will get you in the front and Inumura’s apartment. I’ll take the outside of the building and meet you. His apartment is on the 10th floor. 1028 is the address. If you can flush him towards the balcony I can take care of the rest.”

Aya nodded. “Will do.” He strode off from Yohji making his way towards the front after seeing two security guards leave. He swiped the card and after a quick buzz the door opened into the building. He made sure to keep quiet and out of sight as best he could. Omi could definitely work magic sometimes with his tech abilities but that did not mean they should not be cautious. He made for the stairs knowing he would be less likely to run into anyone that way. It did not take him too long to get up to the top, though he was a little winded by the time he got there. Ten flights of stairs was nothing to laugh at.

He opened the door on the 10th floor and peered out making sure there was no one to see him. Once satisfied there was no one he slipped out and walked quietly down the hall quickly finding the 1028 apartment number and swiping the card again. Slowly Aya opened the door, eyeing the darkened apartment. He could see moonlight streaming in through the balcony door from where he was. 

The doctor was on his couch watching TV, his back to the small hallway that went from the front door through the kitchen. Aya was silent like as a cat moving up behind him. He planned to startle him toward the balcony. Quietly the assassin drew his blade his mind focusing down to nothing but the task in front of him. For one blessed moment the fear and uncertainty of the past week vanished. 

“Dr. Inumura.” Aya’s voice was low and dangerous. 

The man startled and jumped up from where he sat nearly spilling his drink in the process. He spun around quickly his frantic eyes searching the dimly lit room. “Who in the hell are you? How’d you get in here?!” He snapped catching a glimpse of Aya in the shadows. 

Aya leaped over the couch landing in front of him with a solid thump. Sweat trickling from his brow the doctor backed up toward the balcony. “I’m here to hunt the dark beasts.” The words slip out of Aya’s mouth like poison. He stepped forward crowding him toward the door, moonlight glinting off of Shion’s razor sharp edge.

Yohji waited patiently for Aya. He was perched on the left side of Dr. Inumura’s balcony rail mentally preparing himself. Hearing the commotion from inside he pulled the thin wire from his watch. The doctor fell easily into their trap. With Aya giving him no choice but the balcony the frightened man stumbled out through the sliding door. In one swift movement Yohji had the wire wrapped around his neck, using the other man’s unstable body weight to hurl him over the side. He pulled tight and braced himself the wires screaming tight as the Inumura reached the end of the slack.

The look on Yohji’s face was almost frightening. Eye’s half lidded mouth in a tight, grim line. His muscles ached from the weight of the doctor’s body. “Aya help me.” His voice was low and flat. The months Yohji had spent on his ass while they were waiting for missions had done a number on him. He was not exactly taking care of himself and his strength was not what it used to be.

Aya stepped up grabbing on to the wires to help him. He on the other hand, had been keeping up with his routine exercise. It was one thing he had always been pretty diligent about. The redhead felt the muscles in his arms and legs contract as he firmly planted his feet and pulled.

“Yohji… you need to work out sometimes.” Aya meant it as more of a jest than an ass chewing, but there was the truth in it all the same. Once they handled the doctor’s body Aya stepped back flexing his hands again, even with his gloves the wire had bit into him a bit. He had taken Yohji’s older model of the garrote wire watch and pulled out a bit to sling over the balcony so they could get out of there the same way Yohji had gotten up. Security would be checking in by now so going out the way he came was not an option. It was a good thing he had never had a problem with heights.

“I’ll get to it at some point.” He and Aya proceeded down the side of the building easily using the fire escapes and their wires. Both men quiet and invisible as black cats on a moonless night. Pretty soon they were back to where Yohji had hidden his car. The easy part was over. Well, easy being debatable. The blonde did not relish taking human life but this was where his choices had taken him. There were not a whole lot of options for retired assassins. At least the kill had been clean and fairly quick. Justice had been served.

“Alright let’s head to Shizuki’s office.” He glanced over at Aya making a mental note of how he was behaving. So far, so good but they had not run into any real problems yet. Yohji could see the cold look in Aya’s eyes now. It was reassuring to know that Aya was keeping whatever monsters lived in his head at bay for the moment. He slammed his car into gear and the two proceeded in silence to the next location.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I somehow missed the last 5 pages when I posted this chapter before. It's updated properly now.

They arrived at the office building, the windows dark and it seeming to be closed up for the night. Extra caution would be necessary since they were pretty much going in blind. The exact location of Shizuki’s office was unknown as well as what kind of security would be in place. It had taken Omi quite some time to even come up with her personal schedule and the building her private office was in.

After casually circling the building once Yohji parked in an underground lot two blocks away. Glancing at his partner for the night he tried to get a read on the other’s body language again. He had the feeling that the redhead was probably over there worrying himself mentally to death over Ken. Aya seemed cold and detached but he had to make sure. “Hey...can you do this?” It was not harshly spoken but his tone was firm. “I would rather you back out now then lose it inside.”

Aya looked at him. “I’m fine. Let’s do it.” He got out of the car. “I’m just… shutting some things down. I’m okay.” He told him. He wished he was not lying. Things were not too terrible upstairs but for some reason his heart was beating a mile a minute. The redhead had not felt this way on a mission in a long time.

Yohji’s lips set in a firm line. He did not quite believe Aya’s words but did not have much of a chance to do anything about it before the redhead slipped out of the car. Following the other he soon caught up, the black night swallowing them in shadow.

He beckoned to Yohji that it was a go and started making his way out of the garage and toward the building. Once they covered the short distance his keen eyes looked over the site. From what he could see in the darkness as they approached it the structure did not seem to have very heavy security, at least on the outside. Seemed just like any old ordinary office building. Amethyst eyes glanced at Yohji. “Look clear to you?” He asked the other. “I can’t see any lights from out here. Guess we’ll find out if anyone is home.”

Yohji nodded, “I don’t see anyone and I can’t spot any cameras either.” The whole thing made him suspicious. Normally office buildings had at least one or two cameras placed around outside. Moving forward he pressed against the side wall of the building and motioned for Aya to join him. He pointed to a basement door sunk down slightly from street level. Its metal doors gleamed dully in the low light. Slipping a black gloved hand into his coat pocket he pulled out his lock pick set. Out of all of them the blonde was by far the most skilled at breaking and entering. He had a knack for it even before joining up with Weiß, probably a throw back to his detective days.

Aya followed, standing next to him at the door while the other picked the lock. He kept his eyes trained out to the street and to either side of them keeping look out. Once the door was open Aya slipped quietly inside, leaving room for Yohji behind him. Everything was shrouded in shadow. The redhead stood there for a moment letting his eyes adjust a bit before moving on. He did a quick sweep of the area, looking in rooms and through the hallways of the basement. Seemed like a storage area for supplies. Boxes as well as old desks and chairs were piled about. 

“Seems clear.” He said keeping his voice low. He only wished he could feel presences and read minds like Schwartz could in situations like these, but in the end he favored his humanity he supposed. Aya was not sure what all the members of Schwartz had been through in the past but he was sure as hell that he never wanted to find out.

The two moved through the basement quickly finding the stairs to the first floor quite easily. Yohji opened the door a crack and peered out. The whole level was dark; it appeared that they would have to search the upper floors. Not much on this one besides a large lobby with elevators at the back and a stairwell to one side. 

The building was incredibly silent, no noise from the street penetrating its thick walls. In some respects it felt like a tomb; empty and devoid of life. Yohji could swear that it felt much colder all of a sudden. It made the hairs on his neck stand up. Moving to the stair well the two preceded upwards, the low wattage bulbs creating deep shadows at each bend to a new floor.

“You want to take the third floor and I’ll sweep through the fourth?” Aya asked Yohji his voice a velvet whisper. “Cover more ground quicker that way. Whoever finds her takes care of her. We can meet back up in the stairwell.” He said stopping at the door to the third story floor. Trying the handle, it clicked open quietly.

It seemed Aya had managed to turn himself off for now, and he was all down to business. His eyes even had that chill to them that Yohji was more than familiar with from the days at the old flower shop. Yohji hesitated a bit. He wondered how good of an idea it was to let Aya wander off alone. The redhead did have a point though. They could cover a lot more ground and there did not appear to be any security in the building. The chances of them running into someone else that they would have to take care of were pretty slim.

“Alright, just be careful.” He glanced down at his watch. “Try to be back here in a half hour.” Neither had anticipated the need for their com units so they were without that ability to communicate. It was a little sloppy on their part. However, considering the past few days it was not much of a surprise either. The blonde tried the door and it was unlocked. He gave Aya one more look then slipped through into the darkened room.

Aya nodded to him, checking his own watch. Half an hour should have been more than enough time to sweep the floor and deal with Shizuki if need be. The redhead continued up the stairs to the next level, the flickering of the light giving him a slight headache. When he reached the door to the fourth floor it was unlocked so he pushed it open, slipping in and looking around for any sign of life. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he began his search of the area. There were several closed off offices, their dark windows covered with blinds. Aya started trying doors and cautiously peered into the ones that were open. Things were pretty standard. This could have been any office building in Tokyo. 

“She has to be somewhere around here.” The assassin muttered quietly to himself. Had Omi gotten the information wrong? It was rare but it had happened before. A lost memory surfaced from when they were all back at the old flower shop. Yohji sitting at the kitchen table chain smoking and grumbling because he had crashed the wrong party. A slight misprint had given him the wrong room number. The mistake was inexcusable and Manx had more than likely suffered for it but luckily things had turned out in the end. Aya brushed the memory away and hoped to high hell Omi had been right about Shizuki being here.

Just as he had made to step out of an office a light flickered on at the opposite end of the large outer room. Voices could be heard but they were yet indistinguishable. The room filled with a strange pressure that made Aya’s headache worse. It was a frighteningly familiar feeling. One he had quickly learned to associate with a certain precognitive American.

Aya’s heart nearly stopped and he fought with the urge to remain hidden or try for a confrontation. It was not entirely a give in whether Crawford knew they were there or not. His little party trick was not always cooperative but, if he did know then any of the members of Schwartz who might be here with him would probably know they were here by now.

His instincts pulled him back into the office where he quietly shut the door. Aya put a leather gloved hand to his head, holding it there a moment. Sure, he wanted to kill Farfarello and get his revenge but he also knew that he alone was no match for even one of Schwartz. It was unfair odds. They were so fast you could miss them in a blink; just suddenly they would be in a different position or right on top of you. The redhead suddenly felt a bit sick. A single bead of sweat trickled down his brow as his mind flashed back to Ken lying in that hospital bed. He almost made for the door but ground his teeth and pushed the thought aside. Shizuki was their target and if she was not with Crawford then he would have to wait then find Yohji and pull out.

The voices continued to get louder as they moved through the room and closer to Aya’s position. “The new test samples aren’t quite ready yet.” A woman spoke, her voice low and serious. “We are working as fast as possible. You must understand that these things take time.” Her tone indicated slight annoyance. 

“Our financial backers are getting impatient.” A man spoke now, his Japanese sounding just slightly off. The pronunciation was perfect but there was a bit of a foreign accent. It was the slight stress he placed on certain sounds. It most definitely had to be him. Crawford was usually the queen bee to any scheme Schwartz was involved in. 

He could definitely sense the flies buzzing around in the building for sure. Before they had left the penthouse Crawford had in fact foreseen Aya and Yohji being here and planned for it. If they were going to be a nuisance then they would get swatted. “You need to step it up a bit.” He told the woman with only a hint of malice in his voice.

Aya narrowed his eyes, moving forward a bit and sinking down into a crouch where he was less apt to be seen. He listened intently. The woman was more than likely Shizuki. If he had to let them pass then maybe he could at least get some information. He cursed to himself mentally; they really should have brought their com units. Yohji needed to be apprised of the situation as soon as possible. It would be no good if he ran into another member of Schwartz.

He could hear the American talking just fine through the thin office wall. Aya hoped he would say exactly who their backers were, but he doubted anything would come of that. Crawford did not seem to be the type to let any information slip more than necessary. As the two approached closer the redhead placed his hand on Shion’s hilt. Should the worst happen he wanted to be ready.

“We are doing the best we can but much of the data your team has gathered is inconclusive. We need to run more tests and those tests take time.” The woman was obviously getting impatient her voice raising an octave. “Tell them it’s going to take a few more weeks to develop a stable elixir. If they want something that doesn’t turn their guinea pig’s minds to mush they’ll just have to wait.”

Schuldig whistled happily to himself as he made his way down the stairwell. ‘Oh this was just too good to be true.’ Before they had left for their meeting with Shizuki, Crawford had one of his little premonitions. It seemed that at least two members of Weiß would be making an appearance this evening and that they were going to be foolish enough to separate. When Crawford confirmed that one of them was going to be Aya Fujimiya Schuldig’s heart fluttered a bit.

He certainly would not pass up the chance to torture the redhead again. After all he was in such a vulnerable state at the moment. The German hopped over the last rail and dropped down to the 3rd floor landing. Shoving his hands in the pockets of his white suit pants he kicked the door in. It made a resounding thud as it hit the wall. He felt little point in being subtle at the moment.

Aya heard the sound of the door from where he was and startled, ducking himself down lower. Shit, shit, shit… Aya thought to himself. Someone was in the stairwell and now his possible escape route was blocked. ‘We shouldn’t have split up, goddamn it!’ Aya felt more than the fool now having quite possibly put both of their lives in danger. He glanced around the small office he was in. It was in the center of the room with the only window facing out into the larger space. The redhead had effectively trapped himself. He just hoped Yohji was fairing okay. If he got Yohji in trouble with his bright ideas he did not think he would be able to forgive himself.

Schuldig looked around the darkened 3rd floor with its rows of neatly lined up cubicles. Blinking orange and yellow lights from computer towers threw weak shadows on the walls. A half smirk spread slowly across his face as he opened his mind to Crawford for a moment. ‘That slutty blonde is in here, right?’ Almost lazily the German meandered through the aisles. The echo of a heart thumping rather loudly from somewhere in the room reverberated across Schuldig’s skin.

‘Yes, he is in there.’ Crawford responded to Schuldig’s mind link dryly. ‘The other one is on this floor hiding like a scared little rabbit.’ He snapped off the connection and turned his attention back to the woman. He had seen her jump at the sound of the door. “Don’t worry; it’s just my associate making sure the area is clear.” He looked down at her. “Well, do try and hurry things along a bit. I expect more information regarding these matters in one week’s time.” The American pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one long finger. Weiß were obviously here to deal with Shizuki but it was not in Crawford’s best interest to go after them now. He would only deal with the situation if they made the first move.

Upon hearing the stairwell door slam open Yohji ducked under one of the desks. Unfortunately, good hiding areas were lacking as the floor was just one big open room. The blonde desperately tried to still his sudden thundering heart. He felt the icy fingers of that strange pressure in the room around him. Beads of sweat began to break out on his brow as a terrible realization came to him.

‘Gotcha, boss.’ Schuldig responded before the link between their minds was closed. Now he pushed his own consciousness out into the room, black tendrils searching for the trapped assassin. It would not be hard for him to track Yohji down and he did so enjoy the hunt even if this one only promised a short distraction. “Come out, come out little kitten.” The German mocked into the darkness his voice smooth as silk.

Yohji’s breath caught in his throat when he recognized that voice. ‘Crap!’ He knew he should have never let Aya go off on his own. His position in the room was not doing him any favors either. There was only one exit into the stairwell and the German was between him and it. There were a set of Elevator doors behind him but it would take too long for them to open. It was not the brightest plan Yohji had ever had but he thought if he could maybe surprise Schuldig by running at him instead of running away it might give him just a few seconds to get past. 

He leaped from his hiding spot, pulling his wire out with a metallic whine. “Over here you son of bitch.”

Aya finally made the decision to abort the mission if he could and he crept slowly toward the door. The sounds of Crawford’s and Shizuki’s voices were growing fainter again. If the American knew he was there, which he most certainly did, he had chosen not to act upon that knowledge. Aya bit his lip and silently thanked whatever lucky stars he still had left. 

Peering out a crack in the office door he could no longer see either Crawford or Shizuki. Aya made a break for it trying to keep as silent as possible then stepped out into the stairwell and looked down. The noise had definitely come from the third story; all he could see was darkness from where the door stood open. He started cursing quietly to himself as he made his way down. Whoever was down there, Yohji would more than likely need back up.

Aya had just hit the landing to the third floor coming up short at the last step when he heard Yohji’s voice. It only stalled him for a moment though and then he turned for the door. It was opened inwards and the shadows inside made it hard to see but he could make out the back of a man with fiery hair spilling down his back. Instinctively Aya drew his blade and ran at him a sudden rage wiping all rational thought from his brain.

Schuldig waited exactly 4 and a half seconds before he sidestepped the two oncoming men. ‘Good god, the two of you are so slow.’ The words chided strait into Aya’s brain. Now that Schuldig had made the connection once he had no problem getting in there again. He did an effortless back flip and landed on one of the desks, an amused expression on his face. It was very clear that this was all just a game to him and now he had two toys instead of one.

Yohji came to a sliding halt once his target had vanished. Instead, he now saw Aya coming full bore at him with Shion poised to strike. Luckily his reflexes did not fail him and he ducked out of the way just in time to avoid the edge of that sharp blade. The sudden change in direction though caused him to topple to the floor. “Aya, watch out!” He turned on his hip sharply, trying to keep his eyes on both his team mate and their shared enemy.

In a heartbeat Aya managed to turn his blade away, cursing loudly and dropping it to his side as he skidded to a stop. “Get out of my head!” Every fiber of his being screamed at him to go after Schuldig; it was just as much his fault what happened to Ken as it was Farfarello’s. The redhead desperately wanted to vent his rage but he ground his teeth, his grip on Shion white knuckled. There was just no way they could do this now. Even two on one they were no match for Schuldig. 

“Let’s get out of here.” He curtly told Yohji, his eyes never leaving Schuldig’s face. Slowly he began to back up towards his team mate and the stairwell. Now that Schuldig was not between them they actually might stand a chance of escaping.

Schuldig cocked his head to the side then his blue eyes shifted from Aya to Yohji. The blonde had not quite managed to regain his footing yet. Leaping from the desk the German closed the distance between himself and the blonde in the space of a few seconds. Schuldig left no room for reaction time as he passed Aya. He came up behind Yohji, grabbed his hair and yanked him up from the floor. His eyes were watching Aya with keen interest now.

Yohji let out a grunt of pain as Schuldig pulled him to his feet. He tried to swing himself around to break the German’s hold but did not succeed. Like a puppet whose strings had gotten cut, he felt the breath go out of him as Schuldig’s fist met his gut. Yohji had swung himself right into the punch. His vision went black for a moment as he sagged against the other man.

Schuldig smiled triumphantly flipping Yohji back around towards Aya then grabbing him by the throat. The blonde man wobbled against his chest as his arm held him tight. The German was calm, smug even as his eyes bored into the redhead. ‘I will always be in your head.’ It sounded like the whispered promise of a lover.

Aya froze, it had all happened so fast that his eyes could not keep track. He raised his sword his hand trembling just ever so slightly. “Put him down….” The warning tone in his voice barely concealed the anxiety flooding through him. Realizing after a few moments that he had been holding his breath Aya let it out very slowly fighting to remain calm. He could feel his legs tremble a little where he stood; betraying him. “What the fuck do you want?” He stared at Yohji, finding it hard to look at Schuldig.

The German smiled his face all wicked delight. “You’ll figure it out eventually.” He pulled a small silver blade from a sheath on his belt. The metal glinted slightly in the light filtering in from the stairwell. He and Yohji were back lit by it and completely blocking Aya from any means of escape now. The redhead was pretty much powerless.

Schuldig traced the edge of that thin blade down Yohji’s check. The blonde, having regained some of his sense began to struggle bringing up a tiny welt of red blood. But Schuldig’s icy eyes never left Aya’s face. He was positively drinking in the wash of emotion coming from the redhead. The German thought that he had never seen something quite so beautiful. Perhaps he had underestimated Aya Fujimiya and he was now beginning to see how one could become so obsessed with another such as Farfarello was with that Hidaka kid.

Aya was frozen in place, his eyes staring wide at the two men before him. He suddenly felt a wash of guilt over come him, even a bit of foolishness for telling Yohji that they should split up. He should have known better. Hell, he felt like if he had reacted quicker he could have saved even Ken a world of hurt. Wave after wave of doubt crashed into him. 

“Goddammit put that down and stop fucking with me.” Aya’s voice was a growl but it was laden with desperation. He was frantically trying to hold up that cold, emotionless mask he had depended on for so long but it was starting to crumble in his hands. 

“Oh, this?” He held the knife out like it was some sort of inconsequential item. “You want me to put it down?” Schuldig’s tone was mocking at this point and it sounded like he was speaking to a child.

Yohji began to struggle harder against that hand at his throat. He could feel Schuldig’s fingers slowly crushing into his windpipe making it very hard for him to breath. His black gloved hands come up to try and pry Schuldig’s away. The man had a grip like iron.

Schuldig lowered his head slightly; rocking a little with Yohji’s vain attempt at struggle his cold eyes never leaving Aya’s. “Why don’t I just put it away then?” He smiled as he brought the blade down and slipped it into Yohji’s back.

Aya’s muscles went rigid and he screamed, raising his blade. “Goddammit!” He shouted but his legs seemed frozen in place. His mind was starting to crack and that cold exterior began to fall away. The room was almost spinning around him. He felt sick and dizzy, the mix of rage and guilt overwhelming him. His blade shook; Aya unable to keep his hands steady. “I will fucking kill you….” 

Yohji took in a sharp breath as he felt that blade slide into him. The pain was blinding and exquisite and completely caught him off guard. His knees went weak and Schuldig let him slip to the floor his hot blood leaving a red stain down his back.

“Ooops.” Schuldig leaned down and wiped the blade on the back of Yohji’s coat then slipped it back into its sheath. He does not seem the least bit concerned about what Aya is saying or doing, knowing that the redhead is pretty much rooted to the spot. He may mean those threats with every ounce of his being but he was pretty powerless to do much about it at the moment. Even if he came at him Schuldig could easily knock him away.

Schuldig half turned to walk away then stopped one hand going up to his temple. “Hmmm, you may want to check up on your little boy toy in the hospital.” The German’s tongue flicked out over his lower lip. “See ya around, JA!” Lightning fast he was out of the room leaving Aya and Yohji in the big dark space.

Aya stood there for a few moments his mind reeling over the situation. Suddenly he sheathed his blade and rushed to Yohji’s side, dropping down to one knee. “C’mon.” He said trying to get the taller man’s arm over his shoulders and help him up. His companion was already starting to look pale. There were so many things going on in his head. Just leave Ken alone… his mind echoed over and over, it was almost a prayer. Right now though he had to get Yohji taken care of, he did not know how serious the injury was but the blonde bleeding out was definitely a possibility regardless. 

“I’m sorry…” He whispered to Yohji, getting him to his feet. “Just hang in there.” Amethyst eyes darted around for any sign of Schuldig or Crawford while he helped the blonde out of the building. The going was slow and their trail easy to follow from the blood smears on the floor. He ground his teeth bearing the brunt of Yohji’s weight.

“No,” Yohji breathed out his voice sounding pained. “Not your fault.” He was growing weaker by the minute, face already so pale from the blood loss. The blonde man’s long legs were starting to feel like jelly. Even with Aya’s help the stairs were becoming more difficult to navigate. “I’m the one that’s sorry.” Yohji’s green eyes were glassy as he looked over at the man holding him up.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Aya said. “Why are you so damn tall?” His voice held a tinge of mock annoyance. “I’m going to have to pick you up.” The redhead finally stopped and picked up Yohji, pushing against his middle so the man went over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. At least the blonde was lanky and not packed with muscle. It was still a bit slow going but not as slow as it was with Yohji getting weaker and trying to keep upright.

He got them both down to the basement and out the door, carrying Yohji as quickly as he could to the car. Aya was panting when they finally made it to the garage. As gently as he could, he set Yohji down in the passenger’s seat. By the time he stood back up his legs were shaking from the effort. 

Aya looked around for something to use as a compress then sighed and pulled off his coat dragging his shirt over his head. He shoved it down the back of the collar of Yohji’s coat getting it to the wound. His hand came away slick and he wiped it across his pants then slunk back into his coat. “Just lean back against that.” He said through clenched teeth. Moving around and into the driver’s seat he adjusted it quickly for his shorter legs. “Give me your keys!”

Yohji’s fingers were starting to go numb and he fumbled as he fished the keys from his pocket. He managed but just barely and dropped them into Aya’s lap. “Hurry.” The blonde looked like he was going to be sick a slight greenish cast coming to his already white skin. His head lolled back on the headrest and his eyes started to close. The world around him was starting to go blurry and he could no longer focus.

Aya started the car and sped out of the garage, managing to make record time to the hospital. Luckily he did not get pulled over doing the speeds he was. He pulled up to the emergency entrance and hopped out of the car running in to get the emergency team out there with a stretcher to bring Yohji in. A moment later he was back and at the side of the car. “It’s going to be okay.” He told him, even though he could tell Yohji was barely conscious. The redhead figured by this point that the ER staff was sick of him bringing in bruised and bloody men. He was pretty damn sick of it too.

Aya drove into the parking garage, got out and put his coat and blade in the trunk. He felt a little silly standing there shirtless, again, at the hospital. The cool April air sent goose bumps across his skin. Two men within the same week brought in by the same guy, and all three a mess was pretty suspicious any way you looked at it. Omi would make sure questions were not asked, and his family did own the hospital but at this rate who knew how much trouble for the kid they had caused? With shaky hands he went to the glove compartment and fished out a pack of smokes. Bringing one to his lips he lit it with Yohji’s lighter then squeezed his hand tight around the cool metal. A moment later the cigarette was ash and Aya was on his way into the building.

When he stopped at the nurses station he garnered some strange looks from those waiting to be treated. Aya ignored them and told the nurse that he would be up in the neurological ward and to please notify him when Yohji came out of surgery. The nurse nodded silently, recognizing the young man from his visit a week ago. She had been the one to help bandage his hands. “Your…uh shirt.” Her voice was timid as she pulled out a zip up hoodie from under the counter. “Here.” She proffered the jacket to him. One of the male day shift nurses had left it behind, she would have to apologize the next time she saw him.

Aya’s brow knitted but he took the hoodie anyway. “Thank you.” His voice was tight and clipped but there was no malice in it. As he slipped his arms in he wished he could be in two places at once. The redhead wanted to be around when the doctors got done with Yohji but he was concerned about Ken. Schuldig’s words rang in his ears. Had the German just been fucking with him or had something happened? Hatred for the man boiled in his veins. On the elevator ride up he swallowed hard and steeled himself for the worst. 

Omi’s silhouette could be seen at the end of the hallway outside Ken’s room. It looked like he was talking quietly with one of the doctors. He glanced up hearing Aya’s footsteps coming towards him. His eyes went wide when he saw the blood down Aya’s pant leg. The youth excused himself and hurried over.

“What happened?” There were traces of obvious stress on the young man’s face. The doctor sort of stared at the two of them for a moment then then turned and went back into Ken’s room. “Where’s Yohji?” There is more than a trace of worry in his voice.  
Aya looked vacantly at him a moment then glanced away lowering his voice. “Schwartz was there. Schuldig stabbed him in the back. He’s in surgery now. I told them to keep me updated on his status. We, we tried to pull out.” He said quietly with a shaky sigh. “Why are you here?” He asked giving a brief, anxious look towards Ken’s room before his eyes went cold again.

“Shit.” It was a rare thing when Omi swore. He hung his head a bit eyes cast down an away from his companion. “I’m sorry Aya. I should have never sent the two of you out. There was no way of confirming if they’d be there or not. I should have waited.” He was not quite sure if he should tell Aya that Yohji had been pushing for things. Now just did not seem like a good time.

He glanced over his shoulder back towards Ken’s room. “I just got a call.” His voice was heavier and he paused. Omi reached forward with his hand towards Aya’s chest before he spoke the next sentence. “Ken’s been having seizures.” The boy swallowed hard in anticipation of Aya’s response.

Aya froze in place, his breath halting then he lowered his head. Making a scene would do no one any favors. “Ah… I see.” He said his voice getting very quiet. “Uh… is he…” He just shook his head. One could hear the heart break in his voice though his eyes betrayed none of that emotion. He backed up against the wall and leaned there for a moment a wave of dizziness washing over him. 

Omi had almost expected Aya to bolt but it was so hard to tell what he would do anymore. Aya had definitely changed and sometimes Omi did not know exactly who he was dealing with. The younger man moved over and leaned on the wall next to him. “I’m…I’m sorry Aya.” Part of him knew he should not be apologizing at all. As Persia it would be his job to send these men out into danger with the full knowledge they might not come back and that they were easily replaceable. Omi knew these men though, had worked with them and even considered them as brothers. It was no easy task for him to simply turn away from their suffering as human beings.

“By the time I arrived the doctors said he had calmed down but he had several right in a row.” Omi’s face was drawn with worry. His insides twisted and he felt sick. Really he did not know if he was cut out for all of this. It was so much easier when he just had to follow orders, now giving them just made his heart ache. ‘You chose this.’ A voice echoed in his head and he could not look at the man next to him.

The door to Ken’s room swung open and the doctor stepped out. “Taketori-San, we’ve got him stabilized for the moment but we’ll want to do a CT and MRI on him as soon as possible. The seizures could be indications of several things and we need to figure out what is going on in his brain.”

Aya was quiet, simply staring down at the tiled floor. He was not sure how much more of this he could take. The cold stoicism he portrayed was just a fragile shell; inside he was completely breaking down. He swallowed hard trying to get his bearings in the sea of emotions he was drowning in. When the doctor came out he looked up but said nothing. 

‘More tests.’ He thought darkly to himself. How much longer could Ken hold out? He knew seizures could cause more brain damage. Would there even be anything left of Ken after this? Would this be another hospital room that he would visit endlessly for years on end? Aya felt sick, the bile rose to the back of his throat but he fought it down. 

“Just do… what you need to do,” was all he could manage to say. It was more directed at Omi than the doctor. Despite everything Omi was still the one to call all the shots on Ken’s medical care. 

Omi nodded in agreement to the doctor. “Of course, please do the tests right away.” Both he and the doctor bowed to each other. The doctor then turned down the hall to schedule Ken’s test leaving the two men alone.

Turning to Aya, Omi put a hand to the redhead’s shoulder. “I know you’re tired. It’s been a long while since you’ve gotten any good sleep and I think under the circumstances it would be the best thing for you.” The smaller man pulled out a tiny pill box from his pocket. “Take one of these. It will give you at least 8 hours.” He paused for a moment before pressing the container into Aya’s hand. “No dreams, I promise.” Omi was trying to do the right thing and he knew that at this point Aya would not sleep on his own. Once the doctors had wheeled Ken off for tests the redhead would probably be back downstairs hovering around Yohji.

“Yeah… I’ll sleep after I see Yohji come out okay.” Aya tells him pocketing the box. “I kind of feel like I should be there when he comes around.” He shrugged one shoulder lightly the purple bags under his eyes telling the story of his many sleepless nights. “Though I am going to make use of that little shower in the room.” He sighed heavily. “I’ll probably be back to staying at the apartment again soon, but I’ll still be coming in here a lot.” His being there constantly was not really doing anyone any good and he was finally coming to accept that.

He clapped Omi on the shoulder, forcing the growing feeling of dread down. “I’ll be down in a few.” Aya turned and went into the room next to Ken’s he had been occupying. Digging around in his bag for some clean clothes he then went into the bathroom and stripped off the hoodie and pants. The one leg was already stiff with Yohji’s dried blood. He made it a point not to think too much in there and did a quick in and out job of it. Getting dressed quickly all the while shutting down more and more he let out one more deep breath then made his way back to the ER unit to find Omi and wait for news on Yohji.

Omi was waiting for him while he spoke with one of the nurses. After patching Yohji up they had transferred him to a private room. He waved to get Aya’s attention when he got off the elevator. “The doctors say he’s pretty lucky. The knife didn’t pierce anything vital.” At this point Omi had his suspicions that Schuldig was just playing with Aya but he kept that to himself. Even if he outright asked he was pretty sure Aya would skirt the subject. “Let’s go in and see him.” He nodded his head in the direction they should go.

Yohji lay propped up on his side in the hospital bed, a long IV tube sticking out of one arm. He opened his eyes but they were pretty bleary. The doctors had obviously given him some pretty strong pain medication. “Aya...Omi.” His speech was slurred but he sort of half smiled at them. Some of the color had returned to his cheeks after receiving a couple pints of blood.

Aya followed Omi inside and stepped up to his bedside. “You look like they gave you the good stuff.” The redhead tells him, trying to force a bit of a smile. “I guess we don’t have to bury you after all.” His attempt at humor was weak but he at least gave it a shot. Yohji was so drugged up he probably would not remember anyway.

Yohji took a deep breath in then winced a little. “Yeah...not too bad for the most part. Still stings a little if I take too deep a breath.” He was becoming a little more aware, the anesthesia fully wearing off now. “Just another scar to intrigue the ladies with.” He looked up to Aya. “You look like you could use some of this.” He indicated the IV drip in his arm, his own attempt at lightening the situation. The blonde was pretty sure Aya was blaming himself for everything right now.

“Yeah, love some of it.” Aya’s voice was pretty flat though. He walked around the other side of the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I guess I’m just no good for anybody, but it seems to have backfired. You look like you are having a good time.” He closed his eyes a moment and sighed softly. A deep weariness was working its way through him. “Enjoy it while it lasts. They won’t keep giving it too you. Pity that.”

Yohji chuckled, “Guess I’ll just have to get hurt more often.” His voice was sounding hazy again. “Aya, please sleep. I’ll be fine.” Those dark green eyes began to close against his will. Despite the blonde’s concern for Aya there really was not much he could do. He only hoped that maybe Omi could deal with the redhead’s stubbornness.

Omi glanced to Aya. “He’s right. It’s been a long night and we could all use the rest.” The youngest Taketori tipped his head to the side looking at Yohji’s sleepy face. His chances of full recovery were very good but he would be out of commission for some time. That left only him and Aya to take care of things if it came to that. The redhead was in pretty bad shape too. The entire situation made Omi nervous but he tried to keep that from his face. Maybe things would have been better had Weiß just dissolved last year.

“Get some rest playboy.” Aya said patting Yohji’s knee gently through the thin hospital blanket. He nodded to Omi, “Guess I’ll go sleep. Everyone else is doin’ it.” He turned to walk out of the room without another word. He would make use of the bed here one last time. The redhead just could not quite go home yet until hearing more about Ken’s condition. All he could really think at the moment was that life was quite painful for him right now… but at least that pain let him feel human. If he lost that then he might just end up like Shion and the others. He just wished that German bastard would come for him directly but he supposed that was not how Schuldig worked.

Walking into his borrowed room he pulled out that little box Omi had given him and took its contents with a little water. Aya was not one to really take pills for anything except for the occasional headache but he knew consciousness was not his friend at the moment. The redhead fell back onto the cot resting his arm on his forehead. Maybe a little sleep would clear his head. It did not take long for him to be out like a light.


	15. Chapter 15

One month later-

Yohji had made a steady but slow recovery. It would still probably take him several months to get back up to where he could handle missions again. After his initial hospital stay he had gone back to stay at his own place but would frequently check in on Aya either at the hospital or the shop. It was difficult watching the redhead grow colder and colder each day. The blonde understood why he was doing it, did not think it was healthy but he was pretty sure Aya had had enough. He did not try to push too hard but felt at least like Aya should not be alone any more than necessary.

The two of them were puttering around in the shop one afternoon in early May. Yohji was sweeping up some of the stems and leaves from a project he had been working on and Aya was out front tending to the last few customers of the day. There were a group of high school girls who had come into the shop and were desperately trying to flirt with Aya. It did not seem to matter where they went the girls always found them eventually. Aya of course was behaving like an automated machine, speaking as little as possible during their interaction.

Aya was not really being rude but he was not in the least bit friendly either, just repeatedly asking the girls what flowers they wanted. He had been cordial to Yohji as well, but that warmth that Aya was starting to fall into a month ago was very much gone. The redhead was just as cold as he had been when he joined Weiß. 

The little cat shaped clock on the wall read 5:00pm and it was time to close things up. Yohji rounded the corner just as Aya’s personal cell rung sending a bit of a vibration through the redhead’s hip. The caller ID read Omi.

Aya jumped a little when his phone went off. He pulled it out seeing who is was and answered. “Aya here.” The girls around him pouted in disappointment then meandered off realizing they would be unable to get his attention now. 

“Aya,” Omi’s voice on the other end sounded a little excited and higher pitched, “I think you’re going to want to come down to the hospital. Ken has regained consciousness.” 

Yohji stopped what he was doing and looked at Aya waiting to see what was going on. In a way the blonde was grateful the girls had left and not come after him. He figured it might be Omi calling. Other than himself and Birman Aya’s phone had a pretty short contact list.

Aya glanced up at Yohji, a bit of light to his eyes but it was gone rather quickly. “We will be right over.” His thumb hit the end button without another word. 

“Ken is conscious.” Aya said to Yohji, turning to immediately pull in their displays out front to finish closing down shop. “We can put the rest of this stuff away later. Doors are closed.” It was difficult to get a read the redhead right now, he was obviously in a rush but his voice was so deadpan. Suddenly a million thoughts were swirling about in his head.

Yohji felt his heart beat skip in his chest. “He’s awake.” It was more a statement of confirmation to himself than anything else. His voice was enthusiastic. “That’s great!” The blonde blurted out not thinking about the actual mental state Ken might be in. Just because he was awake did not mean that he was aware or knew what was going on around him. 

“Let’s get this place closed up.” He found it strange that Aya had so little reaction to the news. It was apparent he was hurrying to close up but aside from that...Yohji had just expected more. It had been really difficult seeing Aya put himself back in frozen mode. The blonde sighed, kicking himself mentally for wanting any kind of emotional response from Aya.

The two wrapped things up at the shop pretty quickly. Since Yohji had walked that day the only vehicle available was Aya’s so they took his Porsche downtown to the hospital. On the way Yohji tried to open up some form of conversation but Aya pretty much shut him down the moment a word slipped out of his mouth. He could see how tense the redhead was.

Aya was silent as they drove; it was obvious he was deep in thought. He pulled into the parking garage and leaned back in his seat, letting the car idle in neutral for a moment. The air in the car was loaded with his hesitation. Finally amethyst eyes slid over to Yohji. “What if… I mean… there could be brain damage.” The redhead was not quite sure what his feelings were on all of this. “He might not be the same.” He finally said turning the key to off and opening the car door to get out.

Yohji opened the car door and quickly got in Aya’s path towards the hospital. “Listen Aya,” he paused not entirely sure what to say but knowing that he had to try. “There is a good chance Ken may be different but you have to remember that it’s us, our faces and voices that are going to bring him back around.” Yohji put his hands on Aya’s arms. “I know you’ve been struggling a lot and shutting off, but right now what Ken needs to see is that you care.” He looked around making sure no one else was in the garage to hear them. “If you have to wait till you’re alone with him to do it that’s fine, but you can’t go in there with your heart surrounded in ice.”

Aya stopped, staring Yohji down with a cold gaze. For just a moment it softened though. “I … will try.” He finally said, voice sounding brittle. “I guess… I don’t do feeling vulnerable very well.” He sighed heavily. “I’m such a jerk.” The redhead muttered and looked away. He suddenly felt tightness in his chest and it was strange after a whole month of feeling almost nothing. “I’ll try.” Aya spoke again, gearing himself up for whatever situation may greet him inside. He brushed past Yohji and continued on to the entrance. 

Yohji let him go and kept quiet trying to give the other man a little bit of time to process. Following the redhead inside, they proceeded to the elevator in silence. The blonde kept an eye out for Omi as he rounded the corner of the hall leading to Ken’s room. The younger man was nowhere to be seen but Ken’s door was cracked a little and Omi’s chipper voice floated easily to his ears. Yohji was grateful for Omi’s ability to stay upbeat in such a situation.

Aya’s countenance was solemn but he glanced at Yohji when he heard Omi’s voice. “At least Omi knows how to be cheerful.” One hand went to the door and he stopped for a moment before walking in. The redhead made a bee line to Ken’s bedside, his eyes searching over the other’s face trying to get a read on him. It was his way of trying to stay in control. If he could make sure he knew what he was in for Aya felt like he would be less likely to crack. It would be hard to guess what all Ken remembered but he silently prayed it would not be much.

Ken had been propped up by numerous pillows his head turned slightly toward Omi. The bandages had been removed some time ago and the spots the doctors had to shave were starting to grow back in. His head looked like a plant that seriously needed some pruning. Normally bright, blue-green eyes were half lidded and kind of glossy still but he at least seemed to be paying attention to what Omi was saying.

The brunette did not acknowledge the sound of the door opening and it took him a moment to pull his eyes up to Aya. It was as if he were working in slow motion, every movement costing him precious strength. Once he focused he moved his mouth in what may have been an attempt to smile. “Aya.” His voice was hoarse sounding from a month with a breathing tube down his throat. The very word seemed to exhaust him and his eyes fluttered closed for a minute.

Aya pulled up a chair. His hands fidgeted in his lap for a moment then sought out one of Ken’s. “You are the laziest bastard on earth. I haven’t slept an entire 8 hour night in a month and look at you.” He tried to smile but the movement was subtle. “You need a haircut.” The redhead scooted closer to the bed. Aya’s actions were a bit rigid but it was plain to see he was making an effort.

Yohji stood on the other side of the bed next to where Omi was sitting. He was not even sure Ken was aware if he was in the room or not but he did not really care. The blonde was just glad to see him awake. He lightly touched Ken’s shoulder, “Hey man. Feeling any better?” It was kind of a dumb question but he did not know what else to say. Yohji did not exactly have a whole lot of experience dealing with sick people. Looking down at Omi he asked, “How long has he been awake?”

Ken moved his head slightly and just barely opened his eyes. Yohji looked like a giant blur to him and he could not quite understand what the man was saying. It was so hard for him to concentrate and his head hurt quite a bit. He had recognized Aya because of the other’s hair color. It seemed bright colors for the moment were easier for him to pick up on. His vision wavered in and out of focus quite a bit.

“Just a couple of hours now.” Omi said. “I wasn’t able to see him right away, but I’m sure this is kind of a lot for him to take right now.” His tone was hushed as he gave Yohji a pointed look. 

“Well I guess I’m going to be sitting in the hospital a lot again.” Aya said trying to keep his voice from sounding flat. “Gotta make sure you are doing alright” He leaned back a little but still kept hold of Ken’s hand, giving it a squeeze from time to time. He figured Ken would be able to feel a sensation like that better than he could see. It was easy to tell the man was having trouble with his vision.

Yohji nodded. “Yeah I imagine they’ll want to keep visitation to a minimum at this point.” He folded his arms over his chest, still feeling a little pull in his back where some scar tissue had formed. The blonde leaned down to whisper in Omi’s ear. “Maybe we should give them a moment?” His green eyes met Aya’s making sure he understood. “We’ll be outside if you need us.”

Omi stood up giving Ken a little pat on the shoulder. “Take it easy, Ken-kun.” He turned and walked out of the room with Yohji trailing behind. With the door safely shut he pulled the blonde down the hall a little ways with him before he spoke. “Do you think Aya is going to handle this okay? I mean… it’ll be rough on Ken if he’s closed up again.” The youth’s cheerful demeanor had all but vanished. He had seen the strain on Aya’s face. 

“Aya and I had a little conversation in the parking lot before we came in.” Yohji leaned against the wall tipping his head back, honey blonde hair sweeping past his cheek. “I told him that the best thing for Ken would for him to just be open and be receptive. Him being cold won’t do Ken any favors right now.” He looked way from Omi and quickly changed the subject. “Has there been any progress?” The blonde meant with the mission, mostly curious about whether Schwartz had been poking their heads up at any point recently.

“Shizuki has vanished and there has been no sign of Schwartz either. It seems their little experiment is done with for now as there have been no more incidents. For now the case is on hold.” The first signs of wrinkles creased Omi’s brow. “For now we just need to worry about getting Ken back on his feet.” He leaned against the wall next to the blonde. The whole situation had felt like a giant failure to him and the youth did not want to talk about it at length.

Yohji hit the wall lightly with his fist in frustration. “Bastards got away from us again.” Right now there would be nothing he would like more than to make that Schwartz scum pay for what they had done. “There were no other leads from the encrypted data?” He did not exactly want there to be but a part of him felt like they had let Omi down. The kid was trying so hard and they just kept fucking shit up. At this rate they were either going to have to disband Weiß or recruit some new members. Neither sounded like something he wanted to think about.

“A few things…Not much we can do at this point with it though.” Omi said quietly. “I’ve been trying to sort some of it out. I’m seeing leads going in all directions, even as far as Europe. I’ll keep all of you updated of course.” He sighed. “Just…a lot is going to have to change.”

Inside the room Aya stood up and leaned against the bed. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just sit in the waiting room if they chase me off.” He gave Ken’s hand another little reassuring squeeze. “So that if you need me I’m close.” The redhead did find things a little easier now that he and Ken were alone and he did manage a small smile.

Ken tried very hard to keep his eyes open. He wanted nothing more in that moment then to be able to focus on Aya’s face. The brunette was not entirely sure what was going on but Aya’s presence reassured him through the confusing fog. He knew he was in the hospital; could feel the IV needle in his arm. Something bad must have happened but his brain was just too tired to try and remember. Too tired to even panic although that might have been whatever drugs they were pumping him full of.

The brunette mustered his strength and gave Aya’s hand a squeeze. It was not much; his strength was almost completely drained away. All that muscle he had worked so hard to gain had pretty much wasted away over the past month. He found it very frustrating to feel so weak and for a brief moment he wondered how long he had been in this bed.

Aya watched him, eyes flickering nervously over Ken’s face. He found it hard to watch someone as strong as Ken be laid up like this. “Just take it easy. Don’t push yourself right now.”

Ken barely nodded before his fingers relaxed around Aya’s and he drifted off to sleep. The few hours he had been awake had taken their toll on his energy and he slept deeply. Unfortunately that sleep was not without dreams. He felt hands lock around his head and squeeze but he was powerless to fight back. Little did Ken know that this certainly would not be the last of those terrors that would plague his sleep.

Aya stepped out of the room looking down the hallway to see where the others had gotten off too. He quickly closed the space once he spotted them. “He is asleep now. I’m going to just… steal a cig from you or grab a bite to eat or something, and then wait.” He looked to Yohji and that icy mask started to slip into place again. “We are far from out of the woods with him yet.” He was back to sounding cold and flat, his voice not once betraying any sort of emotion. For all his tone indicated he could have been talking about the weather.

Yohji sighed and handed Aya his pack of smokes. “Knock yourself out.” Turning back to Omi he said, “So we’re just supposed to let it go then?” He felt like something had been taken away from him but he could not quite put his finger on it. It seemed so unfair that Schwartz could just drop into their lives, turn everything upside down and then just disappear again. For the first time Yohji felt a taste for revenge that was not directly related to Asuka. “What are we supposed to do now Omi?” He did not bother trying to catch the redhead up on their conversation. Aya would know what they were talking about.

“I’ve got nothing, until I can pin down some of these other locations and how they are related. Really, our hands are tied until all of our members are back on their feet. I…,” Omi hesitated for a second,” might have a couple new people to bolster our numbers… for now it’s a waiting game though.” He told them watching Aya take the pack of smokes and walk away. He watched the redhead leave for a moment a little surprised he did not stick around. Once he was out of sight Omi turned back to Yohji “I know Schuldig messed with him too, and he never told us how. He won’t talk about it; instead he just fell into what happened to Ken. I don’t think he’s dealt with it.” This was another thing that had been weighing heavily on Omi’s conscious.

“I know.” Yohji’s frustration was evident on his face. “I see it almost every day. He’s completely shut off, almost worse than we he first came to us. He’s definitely not dealing with it. I think he’s just sort of holding on to what happened to Ken and sacrificing himself up to that.” It was a very Aya like thing for him to do. “I’ve...tried talking to him Omi, but he shuts me out. We weren’t ever super close to begin with. You know him; he’s not exactly easy to get along with most of the time.”

“Did the doctors say anything about Ken that you didn’t tell Aya?” To be honest the blonde was tired of playing games, keeping things hidden. It was all so exhausting. His back was starting to ache from standing up for so long, the muscles not quite yet as strong as they used to be.

Omi looked a bit sad. “No, I’ve been frank with Aya about this. He never lets anyone share the burden though. It seems almost like he’s punishing himself all the time. I know in part he blames himself for what happened to Ken.” He closed his eyes a moment, the burden of his chosen path weighing heavily upon him. “Ken will need a lot of therapy to get back on his feet. Who knows how long that will take?” He stepped away from the wall facing Yohji. “I know Aya will probably want to be there but… I mean I hate to crowd him… we need to make sure they both know we are here too.” Omi could just not keep himself from caring though.

“Aya is carrying around a lot of issues. Hell, we all are. I am starting to think that it’s a prerequisite that Kritiker scans for in its recruits.” Yohji let out a soft puff of a laugh. “For some reason Aya thinks he has to shoulder it all.” Yohji wondered for a moment just how much he, Omi and Ken had contributed to that over the past few years. The lanky blonde pushed himself off the wall. “He knows we’re here. I think he just doesn’t care. We can only do so much Omi. Right now, I think Aya’s only concern is Ken.” He turned and winked one deep green eye at his younger companion. “Don’t get caught up in feeling the way Aya does.”

Omi smiled at Yohji, “I don’t think I’m quite that type of personality, but I have to distance myself … I mean…” He frowned biting his lip. “It’s really been difficult… sending you all into dangerous situations. I care about all of you so much. You guys were my family for a long time.” His shoulders trembled a little bit. “Sorry.” He laughed a little and wiped at his eyes. “It’s just been hard. We should go catch up to Aya before he leaves and maybe get some food too right?” A pleasant smile slipped across Omi’s face; a mask…not so unlike Aya’s.

Yohji looped a long arm around the other boys shoulder. “Ah Omichi...you always were the sensitive one.” He did not have to say it. They were a family and it was difficult now that Omi had an actual blood family he had to deal with. In a lot of ways his absence was like losing a younger brother sent off to college or something. “Don’t worry Omi. I know you’ll do what you think is right. Let’s catch up to Aya shall we?” He led the other down the hospital corridor his arm still around his shoulders.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since an update and I apologize. My life got pretty hectic through the holidays and I am only now just recovering. I've fiddled and fiddled with this and I don't think I'll ever be happy with it but if I don't post it now I won't ever.

Several weeks had passed and Ken was making steady progress on his recovery, much to the amazement of his doctors. He was now able to hold full conversations although sometimes he still had trouble remembering words. The brunette was also getting up and walking a little with some assistance. It would not be long until his days would consist of regular physical therapy sessions. The only thing his doctors were still concerned about was the horrible migraines he would get from time to time. They were pretty intense and Ken often became disoriented and aggressive during these episodes.

Aya went in to see him quite often and would most of the time stay till visiting hours were over after the shop had closed up. Sometimes he would even cut out early if Yohji offered to stay late. He was trying to make an effort to be a part of Ken’s recovery. The redhead seemed to be doing well for the most part but any time Ken got confused, upset or hostile Aya shut down, becoming cold and distant once again. He just did not really have a clue on how to handle Ken’s mood swings. He knew it must be frustrating for him to need all this help just to get around and being stuck in a hospital to boot. But that still did not mean he knew what to say.

Sometimes he would bring in food that he made himself for dinner, trying what he could to give Ken some comfort of home. It was never anything special but he hoped the brunette appreciated the gesture. Aya did not exactly enjoy cooking but his efforts were not terrible at least. Yohji on the other hand should never be let near a kitchen.

The redhead knocked lightly on Ken’s door one evening before pushing it open with his hip. “You hungry at all?” He asked coming into Ken’s room. In his hands he carried a thermos of soup, half a loaf of wrapped artisan bread and a small container of salad.

Ken was sitting propped up in bed flipping through the channels on the TV looking bored out of his mind. He glanced over to Aya, one hand resting up under his chin. “Famished, this hospital food sucks ass.” Ken had been no stranger to using swear words from time to time but it seemed now like they were creeping in a lot more. His ability to filter what he was thinking was practically non-existent. There were times when he seemed to have an almost sulky teenager type attitude as well as if coming out of the coma had regressed him in age somewhat. The doctors kept reassuring everyone that it was normal. Coma patients who woke up often had some changes to their personalities. It could be difficult on friends and family but most patients came around after returning to their normal schedules. When he got home, routine was going to be Ken’s best bet at returning to normal quickly.

Aya sat down the food on the tray table and slid it in front of Ken. “Well you are in luck, this is not hospital food.” The redhead might have been being sarcastic but it was difficult to tell by his flat tone. Pulling up a chair he popped the top off of the salad container. Sometimes he would bring enough for both of them to share but he had not been out for groceries this week so his supplies were limited. “I know it’s not as good as the stuff you used to make but…” He shrugged a little. “Sorry you’re bored. Not much I can do there. You’ve got all the latest issues of your bike magazines.”

Ken’s mouth started to water as the food was placed before him. He had not really eaten a whole lot of his lunch, his stomach clenching at the supposed ‘curry’. Since he was back to eating solid foods though, Ken had gained back some of his weight but his face was still a bit gaunt looking. “I don’t care, this smells delicious.” He exclaimed. Almost before Aya could even give him a spoon for the soup he had brought Ken was pulling it towards him. After several minutes the brunette had devoured the soup and most of the salad. Reaching for the bread he said, “That was really good Aya! I don’t think your cooking is bad at all.” He pushed the tray table off to the side after he ripped off a good sized piece of bread.

As perky as he seemed at the moment, lately Aya’s visits had been nagging on Ken a little. He really appreciated the redhead going to all the trouble but truth be told he did not really want Aya seeing him like this. Most of the time he felt weak and useless, it was bad enough when Omi came to visit with his inexhaustible amount of youthful energy. It had been over a month since he had been outside and he was beginning to feel a little bit like a caged animal. This was certainly one contributing factor to his bouts of moodiness.

His frustrations were mounting as well because no matter what he said no one would tell him exactly what had happened to him and Aya. He had tried bringing it up once when Yohji and Omi had come for a visit but both men had skirted this issue and came up with quick excuses to leave. Ken wanted to bring it up with Aya but he feared it might make the other man withdraw even more. Still the whole situation was rather maddening to him. The doctors were not of much help either, giving him cautious glances but not saying much when he asked except that he had been in an accident. 

Ken’s brow furrowed with his thoughts and suddenly he seemed to be somewhere else entirely. Pretty frequently Ken would still ‘check out’ if he started thinking too deeply about something. It was like his brain could only process so much at one time. He had never really been much of a multitasker but these episodes where he could not seem to think and do something at the same time were definitely getting to him.

Aya looked over to him, caution written on his face. “You okay?” He asked Ken, seeing the checkout happen right before him. He watched the other intently, wanting to help but not really knowing how. Not even really knowing if he should, it might just make things worse. Aya honestly felt powerless and it rubbed him a bit raw. He was used to having the answers and making sure what needed to be done was done. This though, he just did not have any experience in. Visiting a coma patient he knew how to do, helping someone get back on their feet after they woke up he had not ever dealt with. That thought touched a deeply hidden guilt in him as his sister’s sweet face flashed in his memory.

“Hn?” Ken shook his head a little, shaggy brunette bangs falling across his forehead. “Sorry, that happens sometimes. You know, you don’t have to do all this.” The brunette seems almost sad for a moment. “I don’t know if you feel some sort of obligation or something but…” He trailed off not wanting to say what he was thinking. He did not want Aya feeling sorry for him, did not want his pity. Yet a part of him was not even sure Aya was capable of such things. 

Thing was, Ken still found Aya incredibly attractive and should he make a full recovery wanted to continue what they had started so many weeks ago. He just did not know if Aya wanted the same; he had gone back to being pretty unreadable. Maybe he had decided the whole thing was too much of a liability. Ken needed him to be straightforward but that was the last thing Aya was doing at the present. The redhead had seemed receptive initially but they literally had no time to work on things between them before shit just blew up in their faces.

Aya stared at him long and hard for several moments, his amethyst eyes narrowing. “Don’t be unfair.” He finally said. “I do … care.” A frown scored his features as he searched for the right words. “If you want me to fuck off just tell me and I will. Whatever you want.” His voice had gone cold as he started gathering up the containers that Ken’s food had been in. His jaw was set like he was grinding his teeth. 

Ken crossed his arms definitely, a frown set on his face. “I wasn’t telling you that you weren’t allowed to care.” He felt a tight pit growing in his stomach. “You’ve been here day after day, I know that means something. If you didn’t care you wouldn’t come. You wouldn’t waste your time.” Ken turned his face away from Aya slightly looking towards the window and the dark night beyond. “I just got my head messed up but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. You’ve been walking around here like you’re on eggshells.” He could feel himself starting to get worked up. “You’re just...I just don’t ever know what you’re thinking or what you want!” The brunette was angrier with himself at this point but did not know how to direct it.

“Look, Ken…” Aya frowned, “I’m not goddamn perfect and to be honest I don’t really know what to do with all of this.” He said bluntly. “I’m trying to be here for you and give you what you need.” The redhead fidgeted with his hands slightly “You might not even know what you want at this point. Things just happened so quickly, but you’re gonna be stuck with me hovering around being awkward for a while.” He sniffed, feeling every bit of his inexperience in these matters. “Just…I’m trying. I’m trying really fucking hard but I don’t know what I’m doing.” Aya looked to the city beyond the window folding his arms over his chest.

Ken whipped his head back around, “I know what I want Aya!” He practically yelled it. “I want someone to tell me what the fuck happened to me, to you. I don’t want to be treated like I’m this fragile fucking creature.” The brunette pushed himself up from the bed slightly trying to get himself closer to eye level with the redhead and make him look him in the face. “But I don’t want you to see me like this banged up, useless, and pathetic.” He stopped his voice going quiet, slouching back down onto the bed. “I want...to be able to...love you and not have to feel guilty about that.” Suddenly it was like all the air had gone out of the room. Ken was shaking, his head throbbing. He clutched the blanket at his sides in balled up fists.

Aya stood up grabbing Ken’s hand. “Ken, all of us want you to get better. You need your rest… but if you really want to know I will tell you. I was just… going to wait until you were out of here.” He laced his fingers with the other mans. “I don’t see you as useless… banged up yes, but never pathetic.” He closed his eyes a moment and let out a light sigh. “See how hard it is for you to just get upset about this? It was a big deal, really bad shit went down. I don’t want to stress you too much yet.” In the past Aya would have probably told Ken right away what happened but now things had changed. Aya had changed.

Opening his eyes once Aya had grabbed his hand Ken looked up to the other. His fingers squeezed tight, “I know it was something awful. I’ve been having terrible nightmares about it. But I can’t remember them when I wake up. Like…half lit black and white image fragments.” He kept his eyes locked on Aya’s face and tugged to pull him down next to him on the bed. “Something happened to you too. I know it.” A shaky hand came up to brush over Aya’s cheek. “I don’t think you’ll ever tell me about it. You’ve always been so stubborn like that. Not that I can do anything anyway. ” He leaned his head against the front of the other man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry Aya. I know this is difficult for you to.”

Aya sat down, carefully scooting in next to Ken on the bed. This little action made him feel a bit better. He just wanted to hold the brunette; he did not really realize it until he was down next to him. “I’m sorry too. What I suffered doesn’t hold a candle to what happened to you. I guess that’s what I agonized the most over was not being able to help you.” He closed his eyes nuzzling his chin into Ken’s soft hair. “I will tell you… I will tell you all about it… just…. wait until you are a bit stronger.” He ran his hand down the brunette’s back. 

It felt so good to have Aya’s arm around him that Ken almost choked up. “I just didn’t know if you still wanted this and it was driving me crazy.” He pulled Aya in closer the best he could his arms feeling so weak just from exerting the effort. “I’m going to hold you to that promise, but I’m also going to respect your judgment right now.” He knew he was really in no condition to fight Aya on it anyway right now. Feeling himself start to get drowsy Ken let his eyes drift closed. “I wish you could stay.” He really did not want visiting hours to be over. 

Aya rested against him, putting an arm carefully over Ken’s middle and closed his eyes. He smelled like a hospital; disinfectant. That sterile smell never sat well with Aya but at least Ken was alive and conscious. He had not been quite sure before of things and was struggling with bottling up his emotions again. He was scared, which was not something the redhead was very good at dealing with. He had thought for sure that Ken would not come out of it. It was just easier to shut down but he always found himself thinking about the other man anyway. Aya did not think he could take having his heart hurt like that but then Ken woke up and now he was struggling to open up again. “Yeah I’ll tell you everything.” He sighed softly not really wanting to leave either. “I’ve been going crazy wanting this again, wanting to feel you. I just was unsure of myself. I didn’t know if it was appropriate or… I don’t know.” He finally gave up trying to put it into words. 

Ken was growing more and more drowsy feeling Aya’s warm body next to his. “Shhh.” His soft breath came out in a whisper. “I’m sorry I got upset, it’s hard for me to control it sometimes. Everything is just so frustrating.” His words were becoming more jumbled together as he slipped towards sleep. Wrapping his arm around Aya he would hold onto him as long as he could stay. After two months finally feeling that warm body next to him again made him feel a little more at peace. It made him feel like maybe he would get better. For a while there he had worried that Aya had stopped believing in him.

Aya stopped talking hearing the other’s breath start to slow as he drifted off to sleep. He laid there quietly just holding onto Ken and listening to his slow breathing. He stayed that way until he was booted out for the night. When told visitation was over he carefully got out of the bed trying not to wake Ken and collected the containers to take back to the apartment to wash up. He wondered what Ken would think if he found out that Aya really had been sleeping in his bed instead of his own all this time.


	17. Chapter 17

The next few weeks passed without much incident. Omi and Yohji made appearances fairly frequently and of course Aya came to visit every day that he could. In early May Ken’s doctors finally gave him the go ahead and said he could go home. There would still be a lot of observation necessary and he would have to come back to the hospital quite a bit. Overall though the doctors were incredibly pleased with his recovery thus far and expected him to be able to return to normal daily activities soon.

On the afternoon that Ken was allowed to leave he stood by his hospital bed packing a few things into a duffle bag Aya had brought in for him. Bottles of pills stood at the bedside table and he swiped them all into the bag. He hated having to take them every day but if he knew if he did not there could be some serious consequences and he would probably land himself back in the hospital again. Ken was just itching to get outside but figured he would wait for Aya to get there to come pick him up. 

His voice had been excited on the phone. “They’re letting me out today Aya!” He exclaimed into the receiver. “You want to come get me?”

An hour or so later Aya came in through the door. “You ready to go?” He asked walking over to Ken. A little smile crept to the corner of his mouth seeing the man standing without any help at his side. It was brief though, his face returned to its usual emotionless look. “I bet you can’t wait to never lie in this bed again.” He turned and glanced around the room making sure that Ken had not forgotten to pack anything. “I’m parked in the garage, figured you wouldn’t mind the walk outside.”

“You have no idea how ready I am to get out of here.” Things had been a bit better between them since the night Ken had lost his temper and confessed his insecurities. It really seemed like Aya was trying hard. Ken dropped a few remaining items into his bag and zipped it closed. “It would feel great to stretch my legs. I told the doctor I wanted to get back into running soon but he didn’t think that was such a hot idea just yet.” What Ken neglected to tell Aya was that there was still a possibility for swelling in his brain to occur and any type of jarring activity could set things off again. “Let’s go, I never want to see this place again.”

Aya nodded, letting Ken carry his own bag. He did not want the man to feel like he needed his hand held for every little thing. Besides Ken was steady on his feet now and he had taken well to physical therapy. Being in such good shape beforehand had really made his rehabilitation go a lot quicker.

“Well I’m sure you can do some light stretches and stuff to start getting back into shape, but I’d really take it easy still.” Aya headed down the hall to the elevator. “Physical therapy gave you some at home stuff to do right?”

“Yeah, nothing too crazy.” Ken remembered looking over the sheet they had given him and not being impressed. “Just your basic balance and strength training exercises, nothing I can’t handle. I’m supposed to call back in a week and report on my progress.” 

Once they had exited the hospital and were walking towards the car Aya took Ken’s free hand in his own. It was a simple gesture but Aya displaying affection in public was practically unheard of. He knew Ken getting out was a big deal and wanted to reassure him even if he could not do it with words. “You’ll get to sleep in your own bed again, I’m sure that’s exciting as hell. Or mine, whichever.” He shrugged his shoulders at that last bit as though it really were inconsequential.

Ken smiled when the other took his hand. “Well my own bed does sound nice. Those hospital mattresses aren’t too comfy. I might as well have been sleeping on concrete.” 

Aya nodded to Ken. “Yeah hospital beds are definitely not really luxurious in any way.”

When they reached the car Ken looked around quickly then pushed Aya up against the door. The brunette got up close to Aya’s face looking up at him slightly. “I think your bed sounds much nicer though.” His words definitely hinted at something other than sleep. Leaning in he planted a kiss on Aya’s jaw line then stepped back a big grin on spreading across his face.

Aya let out a light gasp as Ken pushed up against him. He went a little ridged and could have definitely pushed Ken away if he wanted to but he did not resist. He put his hands up to Ken’s chest, tilting his head a little and offering a small smile. “I’m sure that can be arranged.” When Ken stepped back the redhead had the slightest hint of a blush to his cheeks. “No overexerting yourself though… remember that.” 

He sighed, “Maybe I shouldn’t stay in your room then?” It was not that Ken did not trust himself...ok maybe just a little. He was not sure how well he would be able to control himself around Aya. True, he was feeling better but was nowhere near back up to 100%. His stamina was absolutely shot. Just the thought of being able to nuzzle into Aya’s white throat sent a bit of a shiver through him though. “I’ll try to be good.” He opened the car door for Aya to get in then went to the other side, got in and tossed his bag into the back. Ken immediately rolled down the window; the fresh air smelled so good. He was really in a great mood for the moment.

Aya started the engine then pulled out of the garage. He glanced at Ken off and on during their drive home. “I’m not sure exactly what all activities they told you to avoid for now. I could probably work around some of it though.” His tone was matter of fact, almost as if they were discussing the weather and not furthering their physical relationship. 

Ken smiled at Aya’s little hint. The fact that the redhead was even suggesting intimacy thrilled him. Even after all the trauma and being poked and prodded by doctors he still felt touched starved. Just curling up with the other in bed would be nice even if they did not get around to anything else for a while. 

Aya turned off the radio finding it to be a bit of an annoyance. “Though we do have a lot to talk about … I promised.” If there were one thing Aya was always good for it was his promises and despite his apprehension about things he would indeed tell Ken everything that had happened. In some small way he felt like it would help him own up to his own guilt.

That last bit put a slight damper on Ken’s mood but Aya was right. They did have a lot to talk about and at this point the sooner things were out on the table the better. He wanted to be able to put this whole nasty situation behind him. “We can talk when we get home, maybe after dinner tonight?” Ken really wanted to get home and get settled. Getting back into his old routine would be good for him.

“Of course, do you feel up to cooking?” Aya asked him. “At least you like to do it. I only do it to survive.” He had to admit that he had really missed Ken’s cooking. There was just something nice about having a meal made for you.

A block later and they had arrived back at the shop. Aya pulled into the little parking space around back and parked. “I’ve kept the place pretty clean.” Although it did not need to be said, the redhead tended to be a bit OCD about his space. He popped the hatch for the trunk so Ken could grab his bag. Getting out he shuffled his keys for the back door to let them in.

“Geez I’m not even in the door and you want me to cook.” He said it jokingly but realized that Aya had probably gotten pretty spoiled by his cooking.

“It feels good to be home.” The shop was much the same as Ken remembered just different flowers for the different season. Taking his bag from Aya he went upstairs and into his room to unpack. The three holes he had punched in the wall were gone, replaced by new sheet rock and fresh paint. Aya’s little stint in construction work did make him awfully handy around the house at times.

Aya followed him up the stairs and down the hall then leaned against the door jamb of Ken’s room. “Yeah I guess you could sleep in my bed, only fair, I’ve been sleeping in yours.” He commented idly as if it really were not such a strange thing for him to do. The fact that he would sacrifice his larger, nicer bed for Ken’s really drove home the fact of how much he had missed the other man.

Ken dropped what he had doing onto the bed and turned to look at Aya with a bit of a shocked expression on his face. “You were sleeping in my bed?” His eyes softened. And here he had been worrying all this time that Aya would not want him after what had happened. It all seemed pretty silly to him now.

The brunette walked over to Aya and caught him up in a big hug squeezing the redhead to him tightly. “You’ve lost weight.” He noted when letting go of the other. “It’s been really hard on you, hasn’t it?” Ken felt a little stab of guilt for being such a dick to Aya at the hospital a few weeks ago. In many ways though you could not blame him, Aya could be pretty unreadable at times.

Aya looked up as Ken came at him, laughing a bit as he was aggressively hugged. He leaned back against the wall when he was released and shrugged a little. “Eh… I think I need a keeper is all. I just lose track of what I’m doing.” He was not about to admit to Ken how awful things had really been on him. He did not want the other feeling badly about it. “It doesn’t matter as much now, I mean you lived and everything. How can I possibly complain? And now that you’re home I can go back to my own bed.”

Yes, Ken had been extremely lucky. The man had survived two almost nearly fatal encounters with Farfarello; which was almost surely something of a world record. The brunette looked at Aya for a moment letting those blue green eyes take in the redhead. “I think you’ve just gotten used to taking care of others for so long. When we started living together and I started doing the majority of the housework I think you got lazy.” He grinned and winked trying to lighten the mood.

“You didn’t do too badly keeping up with the place though. You know, didn’t set fire to the kitchen or anything.” He teased. Ken realized he was feeling a little tired. After all this was the most activity he had had in quite a while but he was so glad to be home he did not want to rest just yet. “So, I’ll cook but you’ve got to have stuff for me to do it with and take care of the dishes.” He slipped past Aya and went down the hall to their tiny kitchen. Relief washed over him seeing the familiarity of it all.

Aya nodded watching him. “Well I’ll get the kitchen cleaned up if you want take it easy for a little bit. You are looking a bit winded.” He followed him into the kitchen. The redhead did not want Ken to overdo it. “I mean really, you could put up with my cooking for another night, right?” He went to the sink and started sifting through the few dishes that were there. 

Ken let out a little frustrated breath. “I’m fine Aya and I don’t need to be babied.” It bothered him that Aya had picked up on the fact he was already starting to wear down. If anything Ken was stubborn and even though it was his first time out of the hospital in close to two months he did not want to admit the afternoon had been a strain. He went to the fridge looking for something to drink. “If you want to cook that’s fine.” His tone was a little hard; he had not meant it to be. It was just that his moods were a bit up and down lately. Ken had always been a hot head to begin with so the extra strain on his brain brought that aspect out in him more.

Aya frowned, turning on the water and began to scrub at the dishes. He did not really like Ken’s tone but what could he really do about it? He had been mentally preparing himself for this for quite a few weeks now. The doctors did tell him that Ken might be a bit more irritable. “Just sit down for a moment is all I ask.” He finally said his voice going low.

“I bought some groceries yesterday so we have some options.” He said trying to change the subject. Aya was not sure he would be able to hold off snapping back at Ken if his attitude continued like this for too long. He had made up his mind though that he was going to try his best to keep cool headed about it for as long as possible.

The brunette plopped down in one of the kitchen table chairs after grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. He was acting a bit sulky and he knew it. Which irritated him even further but the problem was he could not seem to stop himself. He squinted his eyes tightly shut feeling a headache coming on. “Just make whatever you feel like.” His tone was a bit softer now backed by the pain. He really hoped that it would not turn into a full blown migraine. If that happened he would be absolutely useless and he did not want to spend his first evening home hiding in his dark room or puking his guts out. It was hard for him to admit but Aya had been right, he had already pushed himself too much.

Ken had not experienced a headache in over a week which was one of the reasons the doctors thought it was time to let him go home. They told him though if they started happening frequently again he would need to come back. This was really the last thing he needed on his first day back home.

Aya finished all the dishes and put them on a little drying rack. After drying his hands he dug around in the fridge for something simple to make for dinner. Getting Ken fed he figured might help his mood a little bit. He stayed pretty quiet while preparing their meal not wanting to antagonize Ken any more than necessary. It would do no good to start up an argument. 

After a few minutes he set a hot bowl of udon in front of Ken then sat down across from him with his own. “Nothing special but I figured a quick meal might help to perk you up.” He finally said watching the other man for a moment. “You…need anything?” Aya’s brows creased seeing the pained expression on the Ken’s features.

“Thanks.” It was all Ken could manage to say when the noodles were placed in front of him. He nodded to Aya in response to his question. “In my bag.” He squeezed his eyes shut again. “Please.” The smell of the food was almost making him nauseous. Normally he would have wolfed it down and asked for seconds. ‘Damnit!’ He thought pushing back from the table and standing. “Aya, hurry please.” He began to feel himself getting a bit dizzy and he gripped the edge of the table for support.

Aya pushed back his chair and got up quickly. Hurrying down the hall and into Ken’s room he went to the duffle bag and pulled out the bag of pills. There were so many it took him a moment to find the right one. When he returned to the kitchen he set the bottle down in front of Ken. “Maybe you should lay down a bit?” He offered, voice betraying none of the worry he was squelching down inside.

It was difficult for him to see Ken in such a state. He honestly felt Ken was better adjusted to life than he was and he kind of looked up to Ken in that regard. He hated seeing the man have to suffer like this. Aya folded his arms across his chest watching for signs that the brunette might need some assistance. 

With shaky hands Ken managed to twist open the bottle and tap two pills out. He swallowed them quickly with a gulp of water praying that they would kick in fast. Little black spots were starting to form in his vision. “Yeah, maybe…maybe I should.” The brunette sounded irritated; his words laced with pain. He left the bottle of pills on the table next to his steaming bowl of noodles.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final Chapter plus Epilogue
> 
> A big thank you to all the readers who've stuck with this till the end and patiently waited for new chapters. We do have a sequel in the works that is very Schuldig/Aya centric. I look forward to starting the editing process on that soon!

This was all so difficult for Ken to deal with. He felt fine one minute and then anything could set things off and he felt like shit again. Managing to get back down the hall to his room he slid the duffle off the bed and lay down. “I’m sorry Aya...I just…” He threw an arm over his eyes to block out the light. Little star bursts exploded behind his eyelids.

Aya followed him making sure he stayed upright until he got to the bed. He knelt down helping him get his boots off. “Why are you sorry? There is nothing you need to be sorry for. This isn’t your fault.” Aya said his voice cool with very little inflection to it. He pushed Ken’s legs up on the bed.

Ken laid there and let him do it. It was infuriating to him having to be taken care of even now. After the tower incident he had really not been out that long. Sure it had been rough but his recovery had been much quicker than this. He hated feeling so damn weak. Ken clenched his fist in frustration.

“Sorry you went to the trouble to make me food.” It seemed stupid to him, all of it did. He just wanted to be well again; did not want to feel like he was trapped inside his head. There was something that had been nagging him since he had come around in the hospital and he finally dropped his arm to look at Aya.

“I think I might be done with Weiß.” The words stuck thick in his throat. “I don’t know how long it’s gonna be before I’m back on my feet. It may be too long. At this point I’m a pretty big liability and practically useless.”

Aya stared off into space. “I’ve always been a liability.” He told him getting up to sit on the edge of the bed. “They haven’t gotten rid of me yet, besides everything’s gone cold now anyway. It doesn’t look like we are going to be doing anything soon. Omi is pretty tied up with things at the moment.” He lowered his gaze to his own hands before reaching out to lay one on Ken’s chest. “It is up to you…just… you need to worry about yourself for now.” 

Ken gave him a little sarcastic laugh finally feeling the rush of those pain killers kicking in. “But you’ve always been able to do your job.” Aya’s hand felt burning hot on his chest and he wondered why. “I’d be useless out there at this point. We may be back to playing the waiting game but it won’t last forever. It doesn’t really matter what happens to us. We are easily replaced; disposable.” This was something the brunette had been thinking about for a long time now. If his life were to end on a mission how quickly would he be replaced? How quickly would the team move on and just forget about him?

Aya nodded. “Well I’ve certainly compromised plenty of missions for selfish reasons. Mostly because I do whatever I want.” He scooted up on the bed a bit getting more comfortable. “Though if you quit Weiß I mean… would that really change anything?” He finally lifted his gaze to read Ken’s face.

The brunette’s breathing was starting to slow, his heavy duty pain killers taking their effect. “Yeah, you have. You’ve always been a bit of a handful, not so much now though.” He smiled a little bringing his hand up to rest on Aya’s. “I feel like Persia always used to let us get away with so much. We were all pretty spastic back then. I guess people in this line of work aren’t the most stable to begin with.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and Aya thought he might have drifted off but they soon popped open again. “I don’t know that it would change anything really. At least it wouldn’t change much for you and Yohji you’d just be dealing with some other unstable Jackass besides me.” He pulled slightly on the other’s arm to get him to lie down next to him.

“Hey, you promised you’d tell me what happened.” He rested an arm around the redhead keeping him close to his side. “I know you probably think I’m still not strong enough but you can’t keep avoiding it forever.” Blue green eyes glanced down. “Besides I’m drugged at the moment, passive like a sleepy kitten.”

Aya laid down, resting his head on Ken’s shoulder and getting settled. “Yeah… well… Farfarello got to you. He and Schuldig were snooping around a mission site and we were terribly unprepared.” He started out, closing his eyes and frowning. “Schuldig kept me pretty busy, I couldn’t do anything to help you.” He bit his lip starting to fidget with a fold in Ken’s shirt. “Having Farfarello bash your skull around a second time in less than a year really did the job this time. You should make a full recovery but it’ll take time.” Aya opened his eyes again looking to Ken’s face trying to gauge the others reaction. 

Ken had gotten very still listening to Aya. To tell the truth he had his suspicions about what had gone down that night. “I really don’t remember a whole lot. There is something vague about you and me going to check a place out but other than that…” He trailed off. “The nightmares make a lot more sense now.” Grabbing Aya’s hand he pulled it away from where he was fidgeting. “Stop that...you know it’s not your fault what happened.” The drugs were really working well to keep Ken calm. When he had heard Aya say Farfarello’s name his heart had jumped a bit though.

“All I kept hearing from the doctors was how lucky I was. Like they never expected me to wake up, guess I can’t blame them or you.” He lazily pulled Aya up onto him so he was straddling his hips. Ken wanted to look the redhead in the face. “I’m sure you did what you could. You got me out of there after all, got me to a hospital. I know I would have died otherwise.”

“If Schuldig hadn’t of had pressing matters to attend… he left and I was able to get out of there and find you. I guess it was luck all around. I was pretty useless really.” Aya settled on the other man comfortably, gazing down at him. “I’m lucky you woke up. Maybe I’m selfish but I was… getting scared I’d be visiting another unresponsive loved one at a hospital for years and years again.” 

He honestly had not ever sat down and dealt with Schuldig intruding on his mind much, he had been using his worry about Ken as an excuse. Aya did not feel like his encounter with the German held a candle to Ken’s trauma either though. It was just disconcerting having someone in your mind seeing all your secrets, and a bit painful when he poked around. All he really cared about was that Ken was awake now. 

“They seemed to have disappeared off our radar though… hopefully we don’t have to deal with them again any time soon.” He seemed a bit hopeful for that. Whenever Schwartz was around trouble always followed.

Ken gazed up at him a bit of a drug induced haze in his eyes. “We thought we wouldn't ever have to deal with them again. I swear I think my heart stopped that day I saw Schuldig on the TV. Suppose we were naïve to think we were the only ones that had made it out.” His hands were resting on Aya’s hips holding onto the fabric of his pants. “I never wanted that to happen.” He remembered vaguely how he had felt about Farfarello but it was as if that feeling had dulled and he was not as scared as he used to be. “Maybe facing him this second time has cured me?” His eyebrows rose a bit.

Aya listened to him intently then reached down to brush the brunette’s bangs from his face. “Maybe, I mean most people die meeting Farfarello once. You got a few times under your belt. I’d say that’s pretty impressive in its own right.”

“He didn’t hurt you...did he? Aya had not elaborated on what exactly had happened between him and Schuldig. The thought that he might be sitting on some unresolved trauma because of Ken struck the brunette harshly. 

Aya was quietly debating if he should say anything about Schuldig, but he realized it did not matter too much now. They were both in one piece… right? “He dug around in my brain, used our intimacy as a weapon against me by letting me know how much you were suffering. That was the worst of it.” He closed his eyes again a frown setting on his features. “That was what scared me the most. This is Schuldig we’re talking about and I wouldn’t trust his word but I knew he wasn’t elaborating things.”

The brunette’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry Aya. I’ve put you in a terrible position with my selfishness, haven’t I?” It seemed that the both of them just could not get over the fact that each was blaming themselves. In reality what they were experiencing was pretty normal. Both obviously wanted the best for each other they just disguised it behind selfish want.

Ken’s brow furrowed a little bit as he felt a random sting of Jealousy. “He didn’t do anything else did he?” It was a bit of an odd reaction and Ken gripped onto Aya’s hips tighter feeling a sudden urge of possessiveness.

Aya startled a little then shook his head. “No… he said he was going to but he didn’t.” He put his hands on either side of Ken’s head and leaned over to kiss him. “I guess things could have really been much worse for me.” He offered a smile. “We just need to focus on getting you back on your feet. Whether you stay with Weiß or not doesn’t matter right now.”

Ken relaxed his grip on Aya a little, not much though during that kiss. He was upset that Schuldig had even suggested such a thing and he felt a pit grow in his stomach that he had not been able to help Aya when he had needed it. “You can believe that if I ever get my hands on him he’s a dead man.” His eyes grew dark for a moment. 

“If I leave Weiß though you know I can’t stay here so I guess I’ll stick around as long as Omi thinks I can be useful.” Some of that haziness had cleared since his body was getting used to the drugs. At least his headache had dissipated.

Aya listened to him quietly then smiled a little. “Well hopefully they just won’t show up again.” He inched his body down a bit to lie against Ken’s chest, resting his head just under his chin. “I think you’ll pull out of this fine. I’m struggling with keeping myself open for you; I guess when I get a little scared I clam up but I really don’t want you to leave.” He lay there listening to Ken’s heartbeat, thinking back on how hard it was for him to even open up in the first place. “You just focus on getting your strength back. I’ll do what I can to try and not be a dick.” He laughed softly, “You know how hard that can be for me.”

Ken stroked his hand through that red hair. “Yeah you can be a completely frigid asshole sometimes.” There went Ken again unable to filter himself. “It bothers me. I don’t feel very stable and I react a lot without thinking. I’m not going to lie; you do piss me off quite a bit. Before...before everything it was easier for me to ignore it then we...well you know.” It felt really good to have Aya laying there on his chest the weight of the other a comfort to him. “You just make me feel a lot of...things.” He struggled for the right word.

“I’m prepared to deal with it, I know there are going to be some struggles but I’m persistent. I really don’t think you could do any worse to me than what has already been done.” Aya sighed softly. “I wish it had never happened, but we can’t pretend that it didn’t.” Feeling the rise and fall of Ken’s chest under him was soothing. He did not realize at first how much Ken really meant to him until he had almost lost him.

Ken looked down at Aya intently for a moment. “You make it sound like you’ve had it rough.” It was not an accusation, just a statement. “Hey Aya…” Ken bit into his lip wondering if he should even bring it up but since Aya seemed to be in a sharing mood he went for it. He was so just comfortable lying there feeling numbed out from the pain killers with Aya snuggled against him. His better judgment was not necessarily hanging around.

“That night that we,” he was almost a little embarrassed to say it and a light blush sprung up on his cheeks, “that obviously wasn’t you’re...well.” He sighed trying to work up the courage. “You know I’ve only ever been with one other person besides you. You just...you seemed to know what you were doing.” Truth was Ken had been sort of curious. Aya had always seemed like such a non-sexual creature to him. Although with Yohji strutting around all the time it would have been easy to miss.

Aya held his breath a moment; he knew this question was going to come up sooner or later. “Yeah… I….” he started to fidget with Ken’s shirt again. “Before I got recruited into Crashers… there was no money left from my family due to the scandal my father was framed for and… I had to pay for me and my sister to survive somehow. I spent several months selling myself to make ends meet. So yeah, I do have a lot of experience in that department.” He lifted his head a little to look at Ken’s face waiting for the other’s reaction.

Ken’s eyes went wide for a moment then he wrapped his arms tightly about the redhead. “I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to …” He felt really bad for even bringing it up. “I…” He did not know what to say. Ken felt like anything that would come out of his mouth would make him sound like a total jerk. “I guess that explains a lot. Why you’re so cold and shut off sometimes.” Ken imagined it was the reason Aya kept most people at arm’s length. 

“I guess...I probably didn’t handle things too well with us that first time. I had a lot of conflicting emotions.” Ken was just getting himself all flustered. “If...I had known I wouldn’t have been so...” He did not know actually, he honestly felt like he did not know anything at all in that moment. The brunette pressed his lips tightly together. “I don’t want you to think that I see you differently now.” It was a lame excuse and he knew it but he was honestly just trying to cover up his own awkwardness with the whole situation.

Aya was quiet, letting Ken flounder around a bit with what he wanted to say before he finally sat up and put a finger to Ken’s lips. “It was awful at first, but really it’s not the main reason I shut myself down if that’s what you’re thinking. I let revenge consume every part of me, I guess… I view the turning tricks as more of a life skill than anything else. Does that sound strange to you? I mean I don’t live like that now obviously… but my family will never be okay again and that’s what puts me off the most. Even with Taketori being dead, it doesn’t really fix anything. Sometimes I wish I had realized that sooner.”

He sat up on the other again gazing down at him. “I didn’t think it would make you feel differently about me, it’s just I guess… something you don’t bring up in casual conversation. That chapter of my life is closed. There’s no reason to go back and re-read it.”

Ken was starting to sweat a little as all sorts of thoughts were running through his head. He had not expected Aya to be so forthcoming about all of it; so blasé. The fact that he felt a little stirring in his stomach, that familiar tightening made him really uncomfortable. Aya had just admitted to having to sell himself at one point and Ken’s physically reaction was totally not what he had expected to happen. In fact he was a little bit disgusted with himself.

“No, not strange...I mean we’ve all been in situations where things were difficult.” He fidgeted slightly with the redhead sitting on his lap. “I just...I think you’re very brave Aya. Not everyone could have made that choice. That situation would have broken a lot of people.” Ken did have to admit he kind of admired Aya in a way. It was terrible that he had to put himself through that so that he and his sister could survive and yet it was quite possibly the self-sacrifice of it all that made it all the more endearing. 

Aya took one of Ken’s hands and held it to his chest, idly playing with his fingers. He really did not know how he expected Ken to react, but it was out there now. “Schuldig was trying to get into that part of my mind, but I guess he didn’t have time to dig that deep. I’d much rather tell you about it… I mean… I guess I was scared he’d find out and you’d hear it from him or something. I didn’t want that.” He glanced away. “I mean I’m sure it would have come up sooner or later, but I’m glad you asked me now.” The redhead kept his gaze locked on Ken’s face. “Don’t … feel bad for me.” He finally lowered himself down to lie on Ken again. “The last thing I want is for you to feel bad. There really isn’t any reason for it.” 

“I...I don’t feel bad.” Ken was having trouble articulating. “I think it’s just kind of a shame. I mean...you were pretty young right?” Yeah, he was definitely sweating now but he just could not stop his mind from wandering. One minute he had been super possessive because Schuldig had dared to even lay a finger on Aya and now Ken’s imagination was going straight into the gutter. He was not sure what the difference was and that made him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

“You don’t have to tell me any more if you don’t want too.” Ken was glad that the redhead was lying back on his chest and could not see the fierce blush on his cheeks. ‘Damnit Ken, get a hold of yourself.’ It was like suddenly he was fifteen again and could not control his hormones. His brain just could not keep up with how his body was reacting. “You...uh...may want to move.” The brunette was incredibly embarrassed with himself.

Aya rolled a bit to the side, lying down next to him realizing what had happened. He really could not blame Ken that much, he was not exactly a narcissist but he had been told many times in his life how exotic and attractive he was. He had tried very hard to not let that go to his head but that was why he had made good money doing what he did back then. “It’s okay Ken.” He could not help but to smile a little bit. “Did the doctor give you any specific restrictions concerning intimacy?” 

Ken coughed a little not quite knowing how to respond. He was very rigid laying there next to Aya. “Just...uh...not a lot of impact, he wasn’t super specific.” The brunette was holding his breath a little. He could not believe his behavior did not offended Aya in some way. It really was like he was a sex crazed teenager again. He had never gotten to do any experimentation at that time in his life though because he was so wrapped up in his budding soccer career. If Ken’s nose could have been bleeding it would have by this point. He just could not believe Aya was even asking. Could not believe Aya had not gotten straight up and walked out the door.

“Well I certainly can’t leave you hanging. You’ve been cooped up in a hospital for two months. You’re bound to be a little…pent up.” Aya said looking up at the others face. “I’m trying… really hard not to distance myself from you.” He finally admitted out loud. “It’s hard for me, but I got scared. I wanted to just run away. But, I want to prove to you that I’m not going to do that.”

Ken shifted onto his side so he was facing Aya. His face felt flaming hot but he could see that Aya was a little uncomfortable too. “I appreciate you being honest with me. I don’t want you to run away from me, ever.” He slid a hand up to Aya’s cheek and ran his thumb over that white, soft skin. “You’ve probably heard it a thousand times but...damn you’re beautiful.” Very tentatively he leaned in to the kiss the redhead. He did not want to spoke him away. In fact he wanted him to stay….wanted Aya to do things, things Ken really did not want to admit. 

Aya kissed him gently; reaching up to touch Ken’s face and then drew back. “Your face matches my hair.” He told him. “I think we should get you out of those clothes, give you a blow job, and then get you some sleep.” He carefully sat up pulling Ken with him to sit so he could pull the other’s shirt off. “I think that would be good medicine for you, huh?” He asks him.

Ken could not speak but just nodded as Aya helped him from his shirt. His heart was already hammering in his chest. The brunette’s breath coming in sharply; he was terribly excited by those words but felt a bit guilty all the same. He could not believe the other was even suggesting such a thing. Once he was out of his shirt he put a hand up to Aya’s chest stopping him.

“Wait...I don’t want you to think that I...just because you said those things.” He was nervous as all get out. For one he had never actually had a blow job. Fantasized about it for sure, numerous times but… Sex was one thing; the thought of those pretty lips of Aya’s around his cock though was almost too much for him to take. “You don’t have too.” He looked away not quite able to meet Aya’s amethyst gaze. “No one’s ever done that to me before.”

Aya tilted his head a little, and then shook it. “Ken… I don’t know if I can say the right words yet, but I feel very strongly for you. You know I don’t get along with just anyone. I want to make you feel good. I don’t care why you got worked up; I just… want to do this for you. You’ve had a rough couple of months; let me spoil you a bit.” He told him, tracing his fingers over the large burn scar on Ken’s shoulder. “Hell only knows how much we’ve felt badly over all this. Besides, blow jobs are something you definitely don’t want to miss out on.”

Ken shuddered slightly under those fingertips. The area where his shoulder was scarred was especially sensitive, at least around the edges anyway. “I don’t want you to think badly of me.” He smiled a little sheepishly. “You feel good Aya, you feel just so right. I know we didn’t get a lot of time before but…” The brunette could feel himself straining against his pants. It was getting slightly uncomfortable and he shifted around.

“They really that good?” He imagined they were, did not know why he would even ask that stupid question. Apparently Aya had the experience to make his first time memorable. Ken supposed he should be grateful he did not have a novice doing it. He pushed his hips upward slightly. His body was doing that thing where it was just sort of reacted on its own.

Aya reached down and unbuttoned Ken’s pants pulling down his fly then sat up and scooted down the bed to pull his pants off. “Well you won’t see me deep throating you; you’ve definitely got some bragging rights.” He blushed a little. Aya tugged down Ken’s boxer briefs then settled between his legs, reaching up to stroke him with one hand. “Just lay back and relax.” He moved up flicking his tongue over the head of Ken’s member, both hands gripping the base. 

Ken’s head fell back against the pillow his mind going blank the second Aya touched that tongue over him. “O...oh kay…” his voice was shallow, hips already trying to move of their own accord. It was quite possibly the most exquisite sensation he had ever felt. Being inside Aya had felt amazingly good but he had been so worked up he really did not have much chance to savor the experience. Their first lovemaking session had in reality been over very quickly. This though was going much, much slower.

Aya sat up a little so he could better hold Ken’s hips down, pale fingers stark against darker skin as he gripped. He really wanted Ken to enjoy himself. Taking it slow he began to plant sucking kisses down the length of him; first down one side then the other. Finally he opened his mouth taking in just the head of him and rolling his tongue over it.

The brunette’s eyes rolled back a little. “Oh...Aya,” his voice was utterly breathless. It was getting hard for him to think clearly all the blood rushing down to fill up his cock. He pushed upwards a little trying to get the redhead to take him into his mouth deeper. No control, those silken lips pressed around him almost drove him mad. His hands shot down to Aya’s shoulders and squeezed his white flesh sure to leave bruises by morning.

Aya stiffened a little but did not stop; taking him as far into his mouth as he could manage. He then started bobbing his head. Keeping one hand on Ken’s hip trying to keep him from bucking around too much, the other hand reached down to tug at his balls. Cupping them in his hand he let his thumb rub up and down on the base of Ken’s cock.

Aya may have been taking things slowly but Ken was sure to not last very long at that rate. It was hard for him to stay still. “Oh, god...Aya that tongue of yours…” Ken’s head swam the blood rushing hard in his ears. He did not know how long he could keep this up. At this rate he would be happy with never actually fucking Aya again as long as the redhead would do this to him. He shuddered slightly, salty fluid leaking from the tip of his cock. One hand reached up to tangle in Aya’s hair.

Aya bobbed and twisted his head this way and that, feeling the other tensing up in his hand, he knew that the brunette was close and was prepared for it. His free hand went to Ken’s hip so both could hold them down as best he could. He rolled his tongue in his mouth as he sucked on that sensitive flesh, humming a little when the other was as far in his mouth as Aya would allow.

The brunette tensed grabbing tighter onto the back of Aya’s head. His hips wanted so badly to buck up into that sweet mouth wrapped around him but the redhead’s strong hands were keeping him in place. Ken whimpered lifting his head to watch the other pleasure him. The site of Aya working him over sent ripples of pleasure through the brunette. He could feel himself approaching the edge. “Aya...I’m….I’m close.” He wanted to give the other fair warning in case Aya should want to pull back when he let himself go.

Aya glanced up at him when he spoke, engaging eye contact to acknowledge him. He would swallow, so he did not draw his head back and starting getting really intense with his tongue work. The redhead definitely knew what he was doing; making sure that Ken’s first experience would be unforgettable.

Ken was pretty sure he stopped breathing in when his eyes locked with Aya’s. That intense violet gaze had so much lust in it Ken thought his heart might explode. It seemed that the redhead was at least enjoying himself to some degree and that made things all the better for Ken. The brunette arched himself up and forward, almost into a half sitting position trying not to force Aya’s head farther down on his cock. It was maddening not being able to move his hips.

Aya’s look was filled with desire for the brunette; a half lidded gaze. He moved to adjust himself as Ken arched so suddenly. With Ken’s size he was not about to let his hips do what they wanted to for sure, but he lifted one hand to Ken’s chest pushing at him a little to keep room for his own head where it was. He edged his fingers, biting a little into the skin of the other man’s chest. A long moan rumbled deep from in his chest.

His breaths were coming in short gasps now. It was really getting hard for Ken to control himself. Aya’s nails just barely biting into his skin sent a wave of pleasure through him. He felt his stomach muscles contract as his orgasm rolled up through him. It was quite possibly the hardest he had ever come in his whole life; his cock throbbing deliciously in Aya’s hot mouth. Ken’s large hand was still on the back of Aya’s head, fingers gripped tight in that hair.

Aya pulled back just enough to swallow without incident, his hand gripping into a fist on Ken’s chest leaving short nail marks there. He just let the other ride out his release until he felt Ken was spent, finally pulling his head back and wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. He gazes at the brunette intently enjoying the look on the other’s face. Feeling Ken’s muscles tighten up under his hands and tremble, Aya really liked that. The pale man sat back, his legs tucked under him. 

Ken lay back on his bed utterly wiped out. Deep breaths expanded his chest in and out. He’d thrown one arm back above his head and his chin was tilted upwards exposing his throat. The muscles in his legs quivered and shook from time to time as he began to come back down from the high you only got from that kind of release. “Holy shit Aya…” the brunette’s voice was deep and husky sounding. Colors swam before his closed eyes.

Aya pushed his leg aside and slid up beside him on the bed, leaning down and kissing up his exposed throat. “So I’m assuming you’ll be wanting more of those in the future?” He asked his breath hot on his throat, even though it was more of a rhetorical question. Pulling back he laid his head down on Ken’s pillow next to the others head and stared intently at him.

“That…that was amazing.” Ken breathed out heavily feeling a little shiver go through him. Sleep was already starting to pull at his consciousness though and his eyes refused to stay open. “Yes, anytime you feel like doing that don’t hesitate.” He chuckled a little his voice sounding sleepy.

The redhead rolled off the side of the bed and started to pull the covers back. “Well I’ll see what I can do about working that into rotation.” A little smirk played at the corner of his mouth. “Let’s get you into bed.” He helped Ken get situated and pulled the blankets up around him. “I’ve got a few things to wrap up but I’ll be into to check on you. If you need anything just holler.” Aya leaned down and placed a kiss on Ken’s forehead. He was already out like a light.

 

~Epilogue~

Schuldig leaned against the balcony railing of the pent house and gazed out over Tokyo Bay. The cherry on the end of his cigarette glowed hotly in the cool spring air. Night had fallen and with it his thoughts had pulled his memory back to the hotel and the brief time he had spent with one Aya Fujimiya. The redhead had proved more interesting that he had originally thought and now Schuldig just could not quite put the man completely out of his mind.

One last drag then he flicked the butt of his cigarette out into the dark space before him, letting it fall 18 floors to the concrete below. According to Crawford things were still on track with the experiments so Schwartz’s presence in Japan was assured for at least several more months. From the sounds of it they would be looking forward to a bit of free time however until the next stage was put into place. Schuldig idly wondered how he would keep himself entertained then a wicked smile crept to his lips.

He turned and pushed back the sliding glass door with one hand. Crossing the living room with long strides Schuldig grabbed his coat from the back of the couch. Glancing to the kitchen he caught sight of Nagi making tea. “Tell Crawford…I’m going out.”

~End~


End file.
